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57 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, May 7, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 7, 2005 Two robbers sentenced Judge sends both to prison for 7½ years for kidnapping and robbing gun collector By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune A Jackson County Circuit Court judge Friday sentenced two men convicted of the armed robbery and kidnapping of an Applegate gun collector, but the prosecutor thought the sentence wasn’t sufficient to send a message to other criminals and the community. "It was surprising and disappointing," said prosecutor Judi Harper after the sentencing hearing. "I feel bad for victims who go through the system." In shackles for the court appearance, Matthew Steven Phillips, 30, and Jeffrey Truman Shepherd, 25, each got seven years, six months in prison, but Judge Ray White said Shepherd’s sentence can run concurrent with a federal prison sentence he must serve for distributing methamphetamines. Harper asked for 15 years for each of the convicted men and urged the court to consider the seriousness of the crime against David Majors, who was bound, blindfolded and prodded around by shotguns. She cited Phillips’ lack of remorse and unwillingness to accept any responsibility for his behavior in masterminding the scheme. "He was the worst actor," she said. Advertisement Harper also urged the court to add the sentence in addition to Shepherd’s prison stint. White said he didn’t see any "real purpose" in giving the men the additional time other than it would make some kind of statement. But he also said, "I don’t want to minimize any seriousness to Mr. Majors." Phillips’ attorney, Tracy McGovern, pointed out that the district attorney’s office had wanted to settle for a five-year prison sentence before the trial began but was now asking for 15 years. She said of her client, "He doesn’t have any statement to make." Phillips did say, "My attorney said it all." White, while sentencing Phillips, characterized him as the mastermind in an elaborate plot to steal guns from Majors in April 2002. He chastised Phillips, who apparently was a friend of Majors, for coming up with the scheme. "Mr. Majors certainly trusted you and thought you were his friend," said White. "You violated the trust of your friends and family." According to Harper, Phillips’ scheme involved dressing in camouflage outfits, wearing masks and posing as federal agents. Phillips and Shepherd were aided by Kirby Lee Barker, 45, who pleaded guilty to charges of first-degree robbery, kidnapping and theft. Harper said Majors figured out that the men weren’t really agents when they didn’t show a search warrant. "He thought he was going to die," said Harper. Barker, who provided testimony against Phillips and Shepherd, received a seven-year, six-month sentence. Another suspect in the case, Thomas Eddie Larson, is awaiting trial. "It is hard to know what was going through your guys’ heads when you cooked this up," White told Phillips. At the urging of McGovern, the judge agreed to delay the payment of monetary damages to the victim until the end of the men’s sentences. The court hasn’t yet determined the amount of items lost by Majors during the robbery. An estimated $117,000 worth of guns and other items were stolen, although some of it was later recovered. After the hearing, the prosecutor said of the judge’s sentence, "I think it sends the wrong message." Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg diamonds Distance Education Diamonds Paris Hilton Online Poker Auto Insurance Mesothelioma Slippers Student Loans Tatoo tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoos Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Payday Loans Advertisement s