Armed robber draws prison sentence

By JOHN PEPIN

Journal Munising Bureau

MUNISING - An Ohio woman was sentenced Monday to serve three to 15 years in state prison for her part in a November 2007 armed robbery of a service station clerk in Munising.

Antoinette Elyse Heiser, 21, of Fostoria, Ohio, pleaded guilty Aug. 22 to the felony offense of aiding and abetting an armed robbery.

Under the terms of a plea arrangement, Heiser pleaded guilty to the aiding and abetting charge in exchange for having a four-year felony count of absconding dismissed.

Heiser, clad in an orange county jail jumpsuit, tearfully apologized to Judge William Carmody Monday before he pronounced sentence.

"I want to apologize for my actions here in Munising," Heiser said. "I never intended to be part of an armed robbery, it was stupid on my behalf."

Heiser said she had come to the area for the Thanksgiving holiday to spend time with friends.

On the evening of Nov. 25, 2007, a clerk at the Superior Shell Station in Munising was robbed at gunpoint by Marcus Keyshawn Means, 16, of Detroit, who pleaded guilty to armed robbery under a plea agreement earlier this year. Means was sentenced to 42 months to 15 years in state prison.

Heiser's defense attorney Charles Nebel said Monday Means committed the robbery in an "act of bravado" to impress Heiser or someone else.

"Ms. Heiser went along with what happened here, not really believing this was going to happen," Nebel said.

Heiser testified at her August hearing that prior to the robbery, she and Means stopped at the BP Munising Travel Center in Wetmore and Means went in, but did not rob the business.

But then a few moments later, they went to the Shell station and Heiser said she went in alone to buy some gum and see how many employees were working. She and Means then drove to nearby Onota Street and she parked the vehicle.

"I waited in the car for him to come back," Heiser said. "I didn't know what he was going to do. I didn't know he had a gun on him."

But Heiser later testified she knew Means had a gun or a knife or some weapon to be used in the crime.

Means and Heiser were located at a local motel by police a little more than an hour after the robbery. Witness reports led police to the motel, which was located near the gas station.

Alger County Prosecutor Karen Bahrman there was a good deal of circumstantial evidence indicating Heiser was more responsible for the robbery than she suggests.

"But for her assistance, this crime wouldn't have happened at all," Bahrman said.

Carmody said he tended to agree with Bahrman's assessment.

"I find you as culpable, if not more culpable, than Mr. Means," Carmody told Heiser. "I think you fully knew what was going on."

If not for Heiser's plea agreement, Carmody said he would have given her the same stiffer minimum sentence imposed on Means.

In addition to the prison term, Heiser was ordered to pay $7,871 in restitution.