A Camas teen who used a drug deal as a ruse to rob an acquaintance at gunpoint was sentenced Friday in Clark County Superior Court to more than four years in a juvenile facility.
Matthew J. Cash, 18, pleaded guilty Tuesday to attempted first-degree robbery with a firearm enhancement. He was 17 at the time of the crime.
Deputy Prosecutor Kristine Foerster explained that Cash was originally charged as an adult, based on his age and the nature of the allegation — first-degree robbery. However, the law changed in June, removing robbery from the list of offenses that prompt an automatic remand to adult court. Because Cash pleaded guilty to attempted robbery, he could be sentenced as a juvenile.
Foerster said she hopes Cash “learns from this” and is “able to turn his life around.” She added that the situation could have ended much worse.
Camas police were dispatched about 2:15 a.m. Jan. 15 to an overflow gravel parking lot at Lacamas Lake after the reporting person heard yelling and someone saying, “Don’t do it, don’t do!” according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Upon arrival, police found a silver Infinity sedan and two males, identified as Edward Rog and Craig Wilson, standing outside. They told officers that Wilson had been assaulted by someone who had already left. Wilson identified the assailant as Cash and said he threatened him at gunpoint because he owed Cash $10, the affidavit states.
However, Wilson later told police the incident actually started as a drug deal. He agreed to buy 20 Xanax pills from Rog and paid $100 for the pills ahead of time. He met Rog at the parking lot to get the pills. A short time later, Cash came up to the vehicle, opened the door and punched Wilson in the face. Wilson said Cash held a gun to his head and demanded the drugs. Cash snatched the pills from Wilson’s hand and fled, court records say.
Rog told police that Cash had planned to rob Wilson, because Wilson owed him money. Rog set up the drug deal and rode there with Cash, according to court documents.
Foerster said Rog previously pleaded guilty to second-degree robbery and was sentenced to 21 months in prison.
On Friday, Cash also pleaded guilty to and was sentenced in two other cases.
In one, he was accused of shooting at another man during an apparent drug deal gone wrong in August outside Vancouver Mall. Cash pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm, after the prosecution had difficulty determining who brought and fired the gun.
Cash also pleaded guilty to second-degree taking a motor vehicle without permission in a third case.
