Yesterday, the last chapter of a brazen string of armed robberies targeting fast-food restaurants across Macon-Bibb came to a close as the final two defendants in the case entered guilty pleas.
Keion Freeman Jr., who was 17 years old at the time of the incidents, and Derrick Berry Jr., who was 15 years old at the time of the incidents, each pleaded guilty to Armed Robbery (Robbery by Intimidation) and Aggravated Assault, admitting their roles as getaway drivers who made the crimes possible.
The group of teens targeted seven fast-food establishments in 2022. In each incident, an armed co-defendant entered the business, threatened employees with a firearm, and demanded money. Freeman and Berry waited nearby in vehicles, ready to ferry the gunman away and help him evade law enforcement.
Berry also admitted to serving as a lookout at a Krystal’s restaurant while co-defendant Shavawn Coleman , who was 16 years old at the time of the incidents, carried out a robbery inside.
These defendants may not have held the gun but they were essential to every robbery. They drove the gunman to the scene, waited, and helped him escape. Under Georgia law, that makes them just as accountable.
At sentencing, the court weighed the nature of the crimes, the defendants’ ages at the time of the offenses, and their roles in enabling the robberies. Freeman received a sentence of 20 years with 10 to serve in prison.
Berry received 20 years with five to serve in prison. The gunman, who entered a guilty plea earlier in the case, was previously sentenced to life in prison.
“You don’t have to pull the trigger to bear responsibility for what happens,” said Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney Anita Howard. “These defendants chose to be part of this, and the system held them accountable for that choice.”
