An Augusta man, who spent 10 years in prison for armed robbery, was free less than three years before he allegedly committed another armed robbery.
Uriah D. Sterling, 30, was back in Richmond County Superior Court Tuesday, Aug. 16. In August 2010, Sterling pleaded guilty in the same court to armed robbery and was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by 10 years on probation. He was released from prison Feb. 28, 2020 and began serving the probation part of his sentence.
A probation violation warrant was filed after Sterling was arrested for the robbery and kidnapping of a Lexington County man and his 85-year-old father on July 3, 2021. He was returned to Richmond County Feb. 7 because of the probation violation warrant.
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The victim in the July 2021 case testified he loaned a man, whom he later identified as Sterling, a tool that day when it appeared the man was having car trouble. The man came back as if to returned the tool, and produced a gun, telling the victim to go inside.
“Don’t do anything stupid, and you won’t get killed,” the victim was told.
A second assailant also entered the family’s home, and he stole several items and cash while the first man, identified as Sterling, held a gun on the victim and his elderly father. When the robbers left, they also took the victim’s truck.
At the conclusion of Tuesday’s hearing, Judge Amanda Heath ruled sufficient evidence had been presented to find Sterling had violated probation. She revoked the seven years, six months and 12 days left of his sentence, which he will now serve in prison.
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On Feb. 2, 2010, Sterling was 17 years old when he approached a woman outside her Broad Street apartment. He had what the victim believed was a shotgun, Sterling said it was BB gun, and he demanded the keys to her vehicle, a 1999 Jeep Cherokee. He was arrested 23 minutes later, according to a transcript of his sentencing hearing. Sterling had two prior burglary charges that were handled in juvenile court.
Sterling still faces two counts of armed robbery, two counts of kidnapping, burglary and use of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime in Lexington County, S.C. He has not yet been indicted on any charges there, according to the South Carolina courts’ case management system.
Sandy Hodson is a staff reporter covering courts for The Augusta Press. Reach her at sandy@theaugustapress.com.
