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Pot-smoking Medford robber earns prison time He and co-defendant smoked stolen pot and posted on Facebook during police standoff By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Jun. 29, 2016 @ 11:22 am Updated Jun 29, 2016 at 4:02 PM By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Jun. 29, 2016 @ 11:22 am Updated Jun 29, 2016 at 4:02 PM » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> One of two men who stole marijuana while brandishing weapons, then smoked the pot and posted pictures on Facebook during a police standoff, will serve a shortened prison sentence because of his cooperation with law enforcement, a Jackson County judge has decided. Nicholas Ryan Brod, 19, was sentenced Tuesday to nearly three years in prison by Jackson County Circuit Judge Kelly Ravassipour. His co-defendant, Jesse Eugene Howe, 18, was sentenced in February to five years, eight months in prison for the same crime. Court-appointed defense attorney Alyssa Bartholomew said the plea deal between prosecutors, offering Brod a safety valve from Measure 11 sentencing, was because of his short criminal record and because Brod didn't use a firearm. Bartholomew described Brod as more remorseful and straightforward than Howe, adding Brod has been "honest and forthcoming" with authorities since his capture. "He's always been very remorseful for what occurred," Bartholomew said. Brod, however, passed on an opportunity to speak at the sentencing hearing. "No, I'm good," Brod said. On the afternoon of Jan. 12, at an abandoned east Medford home, Brod and Howe pulled weapons on Alexander George Saputo, whom they'd met via a marijuana Facebook group. Brod brandished a knife and Howe pointed a loaded handgun at the victim, and the pair took a bag filled with more than 3 pounds of marijuana. Brod and Howe fled on foot, jumping over fences, to Howe's home in the 1500 block of Grand Avenue. While police surrounded the house, the two robbers posted photos of themselves smoking marijuana on Facebook. Nearby Wilson Elementary School was placed on a precautionary lockdown, requiring parents to pick up their children from the school. As police surrounded the house, Brod and Howe told them they'd come out only after they cooked some food. The standoff ended after 2½ hours, when a SWAT member spoke with Brod and Howe through an open window. Inside the house were 3.37 pounds of marijuana and the .45-caliber handgun Howe had pulled in the robbery, court records show. Ravassipour sentenced Brod to 34 months' prison and two years' post-prison supervision after Brod pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree robbery and one count of unlawful use of a weapon. He was ordered to pay restitution estimated at $200. Howe was convicted of two counts of second-degree robbery. Ravassipour said she noticed in Brod's case file that he'd been using marijuana since he was 12 years old. Brod's story shows the harm the drug can have on teens in their formative years, Ravassipour said. "I think you're an example of what goes wrong," Ravassipour said. Ravassipour did not recommend alternative incarceration programs for Brod; however, she encouraged Brod to take advantage of drug programs available to him in prison, even if he doesn't get earned time for them. "I hope that it's kind of a wake-up call," Ravassipour said. Reach reporter Nick Morgan at 541-776-4471 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @MTCrimeBeat. By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Jun. 29, 2016 @ 11:22 am Updated Jun 29, 2016 at 4:02 PM » Comment or view comments Terms of Service /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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