Aug 31, 2012 3 min read

One of three teens accused of holding two Canonsburg men at gunpoint during a home invasion in March will do prison time for his role in the incident.

Jovontai Jiviah Graham, 19, of Chartiers Township, was sentenced to 25 to 50 months in prison followed by 5 years of probation after pleading guilty Tuesday to charges of robbery and criminal trespass before Judge Janet Moschetta Bell.

Two alleged accomplices, Brandon Michael Trent, 19, of Chartiers Township, and Brennan Mitchell Cole, 18, of Houston, are currently facing charges of robbery, burglary, aggravated assault, criminal trespass, terroristic threats, theft, reckless endangerment and unlawful restraint.

According to court testimony, Matthew Andrews of 603 S. Central Ave., Canonsburg, awoke shortly after 3 a.m. May 10 to hear footsteps and to see a person with a gun enter his room. Andrews and his roommate, William Hughes, were then ordered into their living room by three intruders with bandanas covering their faces and told to get on their knees.

Both men testified at a preliminary hearing before District Judge Curtis Thompson May 16 one of the suspects had a handgun and one went outside to retrieve what appeared to be a shotgun, which was later determined to be a BB gun.

Canonsburg police Officer Matthew Tharp testified he initially responded to the building for a noise complaint made by another tenant. Tharp said he looked inside the street-level apartment using a flashlight and saw two white men kneeling on the floor surrounded by three black men, one of whom he believed to be Graham, was holding a long gun. He also said the front door of the apartment appeared to have been kicked open. After seeing the light, the three intruders moved to the kitchen in the back of the apartment while the victims fled.

While waiting for other officers to arrive, Tharp and North Strabane Township police Officer Nathan Terling covered the front and rear of the apartment, respectively.

Canonsburg police Chief R.T. Bell was successful at getting Trent and Graham to leave the apartment without incident. However, Cole did not surrender until the Washington Regional SWAT team surrounded the building.

A laptop and a global-positioning system belonging to the victims were found in a book bag at the scene.

Trent remains lodged in the Washington County jail on $250,000 bond. Cole was released on $250,000 bond in June. Both are scheduled to appear before Moschetta Bell at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 25 to enter a plea or set a time for trial.