Joplin man sentenced for armed robbery

A man from Joplin has pleaded guilty in Newton County Circuit Court to an armed robbery and was sentenced to 10 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. Read the full press release below:

Skylar Gage Wyrick, 20, of Joplin, Missouri, was sentenced by Judge Kevin Selby of the 40th Judicial Circuit on Tuesday, March 9th, on one count of Robbery in the Second Degree, an additional count of Armed Criminal Action was dismissed.

According to a probable cause statement filed by the arresting officer, Wyrick was with the victim of the robbery at the Downstream Q-Store in Newton County on May 3, 2020, when Wyrick entered the driver’s side of the victim’s 2003 Chevy Silverado, in which the two had arrived at the location. The victim got in the passenger side of the truck and demanded Wyrick to stop the truck, the victim alleged the defendant then pulled a knife out and began kicking the victim until he got out of the truck. Officers found Wyrick in possession of the stolen truck in north Joplin on the same day but located no knife.

“Today’s plea is a reminder that our office and local law enforcement are both committed to keeping crime victims safe, making those crime victims whole, and holding individuals responsible for the crimes they commit,” said Newton County Prosecuting Attorney William Lynch.

This case was investigated by Detective Veronica Bailey, Officer Darrin Bentley, and Officer Jeffrey Flener of the Joplin Police department, and prosecuted by William Lynch and J.D. Hatcher of the Newton County Prosecutor’s Office.