A local felon on parole arrested last year after robbing a local convenience store at gunpoint and fleeing from Hot Springs police was sentenced to 18 years in prison Wednesday after pleading guilty in Garland County Circuit Court.
Joseph Clarence Wynn, 47, of Hot Springs, who has remained in custody since his arrest on Feb. 25, 2020, pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery, punishable by up to life in prison, and possession of a firearm by certain persons and was sentenced to 18 years while a misdemeanor count of fleeing on foot was withdrawn.
Chief Deputy Prosecutor Kara Petro said under sentencing guidelines Wynn will have to serve 70%, or almost 13 years, in prison before he is eligible for parole and with a violent felony on his record if he is convicted of another violent felony in the future he would have to serve that sentence "day for day."
Petro said she felt the sentence was appropriate given the amount of time he will have to serve and in light of the "recent spike in COVID-19 cases," noting she takes potential jurors into consideration and the fact the case could be handled with a plea agreement avoids having a trial and jurors having to serve.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on Feb. 25, at around 1:35 a.m., an employee of E-Z Mart, 760 Park Ave., called 911 to report she was just robbed at gunpoint by a white male who obtained about $40 and fled the store on foot.
Officers arrived and saturated the surrounding area and Officer Chris Chapin spotted a man matching the description of the robber getting into the driver's seat of a red PT Cruiser in the 100 block of Bailey Place, which is just two blocks from the E-Z Mart.
Chapin began to follow the Cruiser, which suddenly took off at a high rate of speed as Chapin activated his lights and siren. The Cruiser turned onto Ramble Street where Chapin saw the vehicle wreck in the 200 block and the driver jumped out and fled on foot.
Officers detained the man, identified as Wynn, after a short foot pursuit and a computer check showed Wynn had a warrant for a parole violation, so he was taken into custody.
A loaded Taurus 9-mm handgun was located along the path Wynn had run through and in searching him, officers located $30 in various denominations in his pockets. Another $10 bill was found in the vehicle.
Detective Scott Lampinen responded to the store and obtained video footage from the surveillance camera and confirmed Wynn was the man seen robbing the store. He noted Wynn could be seen pointing a gun at the employee and demanding money from the register.
Wynn was later questioned and admitted to robbing the store using the recovered 9-mm.
Wynn is classified as a habitual offender with nine prior felony convictions. According to court records, he was convicted in 1991 of second-degree battery; in 1999 of theft by receiving; in 2000 of second-degree forgery, theft of property, and felon in possession of a firearm; in 2005 of possession of a firearm by certain persons; and in 2013 of residential burglary, all in Jefferson County; and in 2020 in Garland County of possession of a controlled substance, crack cocaine, and possession of drug paraphernalia.