A Unity man was ordered to serve up to an additional 23 months in jail for the armed robbery last year of a pizza shop.
Austin M. Lewis, 25, pleaded guilty in April to two felony robbery counts and two related misdemeanor offenses in connection with a Jan. 8, 2024 heist at the Sugar Shack Pizza & Pastry Shop, on Garfield Road, just outside of Latrobe.
Police said the robber wore a face covering as he brandished a large knife and demanded cash from one of the shop’s owners. According to court records, the robber fled into nearby woods with $169 in cash. A backpack that contained Lewis’ hunting identification card, a knife and a bandanna were found hours later during a multi-department police search of the area, investigators said.
Lewis has been in jail since his arrest hours after the robbery. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger in April ruled Lewis was competent to stand trial after concerns about his mental health were raised in prior court proceedings.
Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Mains said Lewis previously rejected a plea deal in which prosecutors agreed to waive a sentencing enhancement for his use of a deadly weapon in exchange for a 3- to 6-year prison sentence.
“There is a concern about Mr. Lewis living in the community,” Mains said.
Krieger said he crafted a sentence to avoid Lewis having to be incarcerated in a state prison and allows him to serve 11 1/2 to 23 months in the county jail followed by two years of probation. He was not given credit for the 18 months he has been incarcerated after his arrest.
“Mr. Lewis is going to be held fully responsible,” the judge said. “Society is protected from Mr. Lewis while trying to address his serious (mental health) concerns.”
