On June 26, 2017, Rodney Rhodes Jr. of 5974 Hwy 308 Paincourtville, LA., age 24, pled guilty to 1st Degree Robbery. Rhodes was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Lana Chaney, and presiding over this matter was the Honorable Judge Alvin Turner Jr. This guilty plea was the result of a plea agreement with prosecutors following the 2014 robbery of a Popingo convenience store in Napoleonville.
On October 26, 2015, deputies with the Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the Popingo convenience store located in the town of Napoleonville in reference to a robbery. Upon arrival, deputies made contact with employees of the store who advised that a black male subject entered the store with his face masked, and ordered the cashiers to give him the money. The suspect was described as a tall, skinny, black male. During the course of the investigation, detectives obtained statements from individuals indicating Rodney Rhodes II as a suspect in this matter. This was because Rhodes had been planning to commit a robbery and made this known to several individuals. In addition, a subject inside of the store at the time of the robbery made a statement indicating that Rhodes was the suspect because of his known voice. The description of the suspect given by individuals inside of the store was consistent with the physical build of Rhodes. Detectives continued their investigation and were able to develop cause to issue an arrest warrant for Rhodes. A short time later, detectives spotted Rhodes walking through the town of Napoleonville with a back pack. Detectives attempted to make contact with Rhodes in regards to the arrest warrant and Rhodes attempted to flee the area. After a brief foot pursuit, Rhodes was taken into custody. Detectives took possession of the back pack and obtained a search warrant to go into the back pack and examine its’ contents. During the search of the back pack, detectives located an amount of U.S. currency in denominations consistent with what was taken from the store. Rhodes continued to maintain his innocence until this plea.
Upon entering a plea to the above mentioned charge, as per the plea agreement with prosecutors, Judge Turner ordered that Rhodes be committed to the Louisiana Department of Corrections for a period of 9 years at hard labor with credit for time served. It was ordered that 5 years of the imposed sentence are to be served without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence, and the remaining 4 years of the said sentence are to be suspended under the condition that upon release, Rhodes be placed on 4 years of home incarceration.