Second suspect pleads guilty to attempted robbery and assault charges

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A Burgaw man is heading to prison after pleading guilty to multiple attempted robbery charges.

25-year-old Tashon Hicks was sentenced in New Hanover County Superior Court between four and six years behind bars for attempted robbery that happened in Castle Hayne in January 2016. Judge Jay Hockenbury also gave Hicks between two and four years of suspended sentence.

Hicks is guilty of three counts of Attempted Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon, three counts of Assault with a Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill, and one count of Discharging a Weapon into Occupied Property.

Hicks, co-defendant, Marquis Jackson, pleaded guilty to the same charges last July and was sentenced to an active term of five and eight years in prison.

In January 2016,  Jackson made arrangements to meet the victims in this case on a dirt road off of Rock Hill Road to sell prescription drugs. When the victims arrived by vehicle, Hicks approached their car with a gun and demanded that they give him their money. As the victim attempted to drive off, Hicks shot once into the windshield of the vehicle. No one were injured.

Detectives with the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office were able to determine that Hicks and Jackson joined forces with Raequan Harvey and Dontasia Boney to commit this crime.

Harvey and Boney’s cases are still pending.