First liquor store robber sentenced to six years

Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Dalton Perryman

The first of three men accused of the Dec. 7, 2016 robbery of Cloverdale Liquors was sentenced on Monday to five years in prison.

Dalton Perryman, 27, Martinsville, was given a six-year sentence, with five to be executed with the Department of Correction and a sixth year suspended.

Perryman entered a guilty plea on April 3 to Level 3 felony conspiracy to commit armed robbery. His other charges of Level 3 felony armed robbery and Level 6 felony theft were dropped.

Level 3 felonies are punishable by 3-16 years in prison, but the terms of the agreement called for a cap of six years, the sentence Superior Court Judge Denny Bridges ultimately issued.

The Indiana sentencing structure dictates that Perryman serve a minimum of three years and nine months, or 75 percent of his DOC commitment.

Perryman’s fellow suspects in the robbery are Johnnie C. Brown, 29, Cloverdale, and Dennis L. Kent, 40, Cloverdale.

All three men remain incarcerated at the Putnam County Jail, with Perryman awaiting assignment to a DOC facility and Brown and Kent await trial.

Perryman’s testimony in court on Monday, as well as an further statements to investigators, could help uncover further details about that December evening.

According to court documents, Brown and Perryman are alleged to have entered Cloverdale Liquors around 8 p.m. Kent was working as a clerk in the store and is the alleged “inside man.”

During the course of their investigation, Putnam County Sheriff’s Department detectives Pat McFadden and Doug Nally found video surveillance, witnesses and physical evidence that they believe link all three men to the robbery.

Kent, was arrested at the store on Dec. 9 for an outstanding Owen County warrant. At the time of his arrest, just two days after the robbery, Kent was dressed in all new clothes and jewelry.

Perryman was arrested on a warrant by Cloverdale Police Sgt. Charlie Hallam on Dec. 28.

Brown was able to lay low the longest and was arrested near the Putnam-Owen county line on March 17.

Brown faces identical charges to Perryman: Level 3 felony armed robbery, Level 3 felony conspiracy to commit armed robbery and Level 6 felony theft. If convicted on all three counts, he faces as many as 34 years in prison.

The case is set for a Sept. 26 jury trial.

Kent faces only the Level 3 felony conspiracy to commit armed robbery charge, for which he faces three to 16 years.

Kent’s case is set to go to jury trial on June 6.

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