26 Years for 20 Year Old Robber
A Kansas City man who committed armed robberies of a Platte County restaurant and gas station on back-to-back nights has been sentenced to 26 years in prison. Andrew McGee, 20, received the sentence from Judge Abe Shafer on June 5 after earlier pleading guilty to two counts of first degree robbery.
“The presumptive sentence recommended by Missouri’s Sentencing Advisory Commission in this case was the statutory minimum of 10 years. The people of Platte County should thank Judge Shafer for ignoring that recommendation and imposing the kind of sentence that will help keep our community safe,” Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd said in a statement.
According to Zahnd, on October 13, 2007 at about 9:45 p.m., McGee entered the Taco Bueno at 6901 NW 83rd Terrace armed with a handgun and ordered everyone to the ground. He then instructed one of the employees to open the register and give him the money.
McGee also approached a married couple and their 15-year-old daughter in the lobby of the restaurant. He pointed the gun at them and stole the women’s purses and money. He then fled the restaurant.
One day later, at about 10:30 p.m., McGee entered the nearby Phillips 66 at 5910 NW Prairie View Road again armed a handgun. He ordered the customers to the ground, pointed his gun at an employee, and said, “Hurry up, give me the money.”
At sentencing, the male victim of the Taco Bueno robbery testified that his daughter continues to carry emotional scars of the robbery and that the family is reluctant to eat in public restaurants. An employee of the Phillips 66 testified that it was the first time he had been robbed.
McGee pled guilty to the crimes on April 24. He apologized during both the plea and sentencing hearings and conceded that he had a drug problem.
Prior to handing down the sentence, Judge Shafer observed that the citizens of Platte County deserve to feel safe. He then sentenced McGee to 26 years in prison on each count and ordered the sentences to run concurrently.
Because first degree robbery is classified as a “dangerous felony,” McGee must serve 85% of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole. As a result, McGee cannot be released from prison until December 2029, at the earliest.
Zahnd has been critical of the Sentencing Commission’s recommendations. He characterized the recommendations, which are supposed to represent the average sentence imposed for each crime, as being too reliant on sentences handed down in Missouri’s cities.
“According to the latest statistics, St. Louis is supposedly the second most dangerous city in America,” Zahnd said. “That says something about the prison sentences given to criminals there. It is something we should avoid at all costs, not something we should imitate all across Missouri….we take pride in Platte County for having great schools, attractive shopping and business developments, and safe communities. When criminals begin to disrupt the sense of security in the county, we need to send a clear message that a committing crime here will result in a long prison sentence.”