J-S08021-20

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA

v.

DAKAR HAMPTON 

Appellant

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 IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF

 PENNSYLVANIA

 No. 988 WDA 2019

Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence Entered April 25, 2018

In the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County Criminal Division at 

No(s): CP-02-CR-0010328-2017

BEFORE: OLSON, J., McCAFFERY, J., and MUSMANNO, J.

MEMORANDUIM BY: McCAFFERY, J. FILED MARCH 20, 2020

Dakar Hampton (Appellant) appeals from the judgment of sentence 

entered in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, following his bench 

trial conviction of robbery.1 Appellant contends the evidence was insufficient 

to support the verdict and the court abused its discretion by imposing a 

manifestly excessive sentence. We affirm.

The trial court summarized the evidence presented at trial:

On August 12, 2017, David Brody [(Victim)] was working as a 

doorman and bellman at the Fairmont Pittsburgh [H]otel in the

Market Square section of the City of Pittsburgh. During the 

evening on that day, [Victim] was moving BMW bicycles from the 

outside of the hotel to the inside of the hotel. The BMW bicycles 

were maintained at the Fairmont [H]otel for guests’ usage to 

permit them to enjoy bicycle rides around the City of Pittsburgh. 

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1 18 Pa.C.S. § 3701(a)(1)(ii) (person is guilty of robbery if, in course of 

committing theft, he threatens another with or intentionally puts him in fear 

of immediate serious bodily injury.)
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According to [Victim], the BMW bicycles were high-end bicycles 

and were very valuable. As [Victim] was bringing the bicycles in 

for the night, [Appellant], wearing a dark hoodie and ski goggles, 

approached [Victim] and put his hand on one of the bicycles. 

[Victim] addressed [Appellant] by saying, “No, you can’t take 

that.” [Victim] pulled the bicycle away from [Appellant]. As 

[Victim] pulled the bicycle away, [Appellant] lifted his hoodie and 

displayed what appeared to be a firearm to [Victim. Victim] was 

able to observe the firearm from the handle to the trigger. The 

barrel of the firearm was down inside the waistband of 

[Appellant’s] pants. According to [Victim], the firearm appeared 

to be a real firearm. As [Victim] carried the bicycle into the hotel, 

[Appellant] walked away and pointed toward [Victim], making a 

hand gesture replicating the firing of a gun.

After moving the bicycles into the hotel, [Victim] telephoned 

the police. Within ten to fifteen minutes, police officers responded 

to the general area where the incident occurred. Not far from the 

hotel, the police officers encountered [Appellant]. He was wearing 

a blue hoodie and had black ski goggles with red lenses on his 

head. He was wearing a black bandana around his neck. The 

police officers exited their police vehicle. Due to the fact that the 

initial report to them was that the actor involved in the incident at 

the Fairmont [H]otel may have been armed, one officer had his 

weapon drawn and one officer was holding his taser. The officers 

ordered [Appellant] to lay on the ground and [Appellant]

complied. He was then placed in custody. A paintball gun was 

located in [Appellant’s] pants. At trial, [Victim] identified the ski 

goggles as the goggles worn by [Appellant] and the paintball gun 

as the gun he observed on [Appellant] during the incident at the 

Fairmont [H]otel.

Trial Ct. Op., 10/28/19, at 1-2. 
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The Commonwealth charged Appellant with, inter alia, robbery.2 On 

January 18, 2018, this case proceeded to a bench trial. Appellant did not 

testify and presented no evidence. The court convicted Appellant of robbery. 

On April 25, 2018, after reviewing a presentence investigation report 

(PSI), the court sentenced Appellant to 5 to 10 years’ imprisonment, and a 

consecutive three years’ probation. On May 4, 2018, Appellant filed a postsentence motion, which was denied on June 26, 2018. 

Appellant filed a notice of appeal on July, 13, 2018. However, on 

February 14, 2019, this Court dismissed the appeal because appellate counsel 

failed to file a brief on Appellant’s behalf. Commonwealth v. Hampton, 

1023 WDA 2018 (order) (Pa. Super. 2/14/19). On April 9, 2019, Appellant 

filed a timely, pro se Post Conviction Relief Act3 petition (PCRA). The court 

appointed present counsel to represent Appellant. On May 17, 2019, 

Appellant filed an amended PCRA petition requesting reinstatement of his 

post-sentencing and appellate rights. The court granted this petition. On May 

31, 2019, Appellant filed a post-sentence motion nunc pro tunc challenging 

the sufficiency of evidence and the discretionary aspects of sentencing, which 

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2 The Commonwealth had also charged Appellant with possession of an 

instrument of crime, 18 P.C.S. § 907(b), and possession of marijuana, 35 P.S.

§ 780-113(a)(31), but these charges were withdrawn prior to trial. 

3 42 Pa.C.S. §§ 9541-9546.
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the court denied. On June 27, 2019, Appellant timely filed both a notice of 

appeal and a Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b) statement of issues on appeal. 

Appellant presents two issues for our review:

1. Did the trial court err in denying Appellant’s post sentencing 

motions since Appellant’s robbery-threatening serious bodily 

injury [18 Pa.C.S. § 3701 (a) (1) (ii)] conviction was not 

supported by sufficient evidence since Appellant simply and briefly 

put his hand on the bicycle[, N.T., 1/18/18, at 19], Appellant 

never uttered a word during the entire encounter, [Victim] told 

Appellant “that he couldn’t take the bike” [id., Victim] continued 

to wheel the bicycle into the hotel and Appellant did not thereafter 

make any attempt to take the bicycle[, N.T. at 21]; the incident 

involving the bicycle ended at that point and any further actions 

by Appellant may have constituted terroristic threats toward 

[Victim] but Appellant was only charged with one count of robbery 

and not terroristic threats or any other crime related to [Victim]

or the bicycle. Appellant’s action of briefly putting his hand on the 

bicycle and uttering no words could have been interpreted in a 

multitude of ways, but was not sufficient to prove him guilty, 

beyond a reasonable doubt, of an attempted robbery accompanied

by a threat of serious bodily injury (an attempt to take the bicycle 

by force from [Victim], with accompanying threats of serious 

bodily injury)?

2. Did the trial court err in denying Appellant’s post sentencing 

motions since Appellant's sentence of 5-10 years’ state 

imprisonment, regardless of the sentencing guidelines, was 

manifestly excessive since the factual scenario regarding the 

crime only involved Appellant briefly placing one hand on a 

bicycle, with no further attempt at taking the bicycle?

Appellant’s Brief at 7.4 

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4 We remind counsel, “The statement of questions involved must concisely 

state the issues to be resolved . . . without unnecessary detail.” See Pa.R.A.P. 

2116(a).
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Appellant avers the evidence is insufficient to convict him of robbery, 

contending he never made any legitimate attempt to steal the bicycle and did 

not communicate any threats to Victim. Appellant claims “[a]ll he did . . . was 

place his hand on a bicycle that [Victim] was rolling back into the hotel.” 

Appellant’s Brief at 13. Appellant claims he “never uttered a word during the 

encounter, and [Victim], who is a well-built, very muscular bodybuilder, nearly 

6’ tall, 225 pound, . . . healthy young man,” was never touched or injured 

during the entire encounter. Id., citing N.T., 1/18/18, at 19. Appellant also 

reasons “[t]he incident involving the bike ended at that point” and his 

subsequent conduct may have, at most, established terroristic threats, a crime 

not charged. Id. at 13. 

Our standard of review is well-settled:

In reviewing a sufficiency of the evidence claim, we must 

determine whether the evidence admitted at trial, as well as all 

reasonable inferences drawn therefrom, when viewed in the light 

most favorable to the verdict winner, are sufficient to support all 

elements of the offense. Additionally, we may not reweigh the 

evidence or substitute our own judgment for that of the fact 

finder. The evidence may be entirely circumstantial as long as it 

links the accused to the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.

Commonwealth v. Walker, 139 A.3d 225, 229 (Pa. Super. 2016) (citations 

omitted). Pursuant to Section 3701(a)(ii) of the Pennsylvania Crimes Code, 

“[a] person is guilty of robbery if, in the course of committing a theft, he . . . 

threatens another with or intentionally puts him in fear of immediate serious 

bodily injury.” 18 Pa.C.S. § 3701(a)(1)(ii). “Serious bodily injury” is defined 

as “[b]odily injury which creates a substantial risk of death or which causes 
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serious, permanent disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the 

function of any bodily member or organ.” 18 Pa.C.S § 2301. 

A conviction under Section 3701(a)(1)(ii) is contingent upon the 

type of bodily harm threatened. The Commonwealth need not 

prove a verbal utterance or threat to sustain a conviction under 

Section 3701(a)(1)(ii). It is sufficient if the evidence 

demonstrates aggressive actions that threatened the victim’s 

safety. For the purposes of Section 3701(a)(1)(ii), the proper 

focus is on the nature of the threat posed by an assailant and 

whether he reasonably placed a victim in fear of “immediate 

serious bodily injury.”

Commonwealth v. Ouch, 199 A.3d 918, 923–24 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2018)

(citations & quotation marks omitted). Further, “the threat posed by the 

appearance of a firearm is calculated to inflict fear of deadly injury, not merely 

fear of ‘serious bodily injury.’” Commonwealth v. Hopkins, 747 A.2d 910, 

914 (Pa. Super. 2000). 

In addressing the sufficiency claim, the trial court noted the evidence 

clearly established Appellant attempted to grab the bicycle. Trial Ct. Op. at 

5. In fact, Appellant appears to concede this point. However, the trial court, 

sitting as the finder of fact, found that when Victim showed resistance, 

Appellant contemporaneously flashed a firearm located in his waistband. 

Appellant further made a hand gesture simulating the firing of a gun toward 

Victim as Appellant fled the scene. The trial court explained these actions 

constituted ample evidence that Appellant intended to place Victim in fear of 

being seriously injured. Id.; See Ouch, 199 A.3d at 923. The fact that the 

item used in this crime was not a real firearm, i.e. a paintball gun, does not 
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negate the threat calculated to inflict fear of deadly injury to Victim. Id.; see 

also, Hopkins 747 A.2d at 914. Accordingly, Appellant’s first issue fails. 

Next, Appellant challenges the discretionary aspects of his sentence. He 

claims the sentence imposed was manifestly excessive because it was 

“disproportionate to the offense of the simple act of briefly putting one’s hand 

upon a bicycle and making no attempts take the bicycle.” Appellant’s Brief at 

9. Again, Appellant’s argument rests solely on this rather one-sided recitation 

of facts, rejected by the trial court. Appellant also contends the trial court did 

not provide sufficient reasons for the excessive sentence. 

A discretionary aspects of sentencing claim is not appealable as of right, 

but “must be considered a petition for permission to appeal.” 

Commonwealth v. Best, 120 A.3d 329, 348 (Pa. Super. 2015) (citation 

omitted). Before we reach the merits of a discretionary sentencing issue, this 

Court must determine:

(1) whether the appeal is timely; (2) whether Appellant preserved

his issue; (3) whether Appellant’s brief includes a concise

statement of the reasons relied upon for allowance of appeal with

respect to the discretionary aspects of sentence[, See Pa.R.A.P. 

2119(f)]; and (4) whether the concise statement raises a 

substantial question that the sentence is appropriate under the 

sentencing code.

Commonwealth v. Edwards, 71 A.3d 323, 329-30 (Pa. Super. 2013) 

(citation omitted).

The determination of what constitutes a substantial question must 

be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. A substantial question 

exists “only when the appellant advances a colorable argument 

that the sentencing judges’ actions were either: (1) inconsistent 
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with a specific provision of the Sentencing Code; or (2) contrary 

to the fundamental norms which underlie the sentencing process.”

Commonwealth v. Moury, 992 A.2d 162, 170 (Pa. Super. 2010) (citations 

omitted). “Our inquiry must focus on the reasons for which the appeal is 

sought, in contrast to the facts underlying the appeal, which are necessary 

only to decide the appeal on the merits.” Commonwealth v. McNabb, 819 

A.2d 54, 56 (Pa. Super. 2003) (citations omitted). “[A]n excessive sentence 

claim—in conjunction with an assertion that the court failed to consider 

mitigating factors—raises a substantial question.” Commonwealth v. 

Caldwell, 117 A.3d 763, 770 (Pa. Super. 2015) (en banc). Furthermore, 

“[a]n allegation that the sentencing court did not adequately set forth its 

reasons on the record” likewise presents a substantial question. 

Commonwealth v. Brown, 741 A.2d 726, 735 (Pa. Super.1999).

Appellant complied with the procedural requirements for this appeal by 

filing a timely post-sentence motion nunc pro tunc and notice of appeal. In 

his appellate brief, Appellant includes a statement of reasons relied upon for 

appeal pursuant to Pa.R.A.P. 2119(f). See Edwards, 71 A.3d at 329-30; 

Appellant’s Brief at 9. Furthermore, his claims, that the sentence was 

disproportionate to his crimes and the trial court did not provide sufficient 

reasons for the excessive sentence, raise substantial questions invoking this 

Court’s jurisdiction. See Caldwell, 117 A.3d 763, 770 (Pa. Super. 2015) (en 

banc). Furthermore, “[a]n allegation that the sentencing court did not 

adequately set forth its reasons on the record” likewise present a substantial 
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question. Commonwealth v. Brown, 741 A.2d at 735; Brown, 741 A.2d at

735. Thus, we consider the merits of Appellant’s claim. 

[T]he proper standard of review when considering whether to 

affirm the sentencing court’s determination is an abuse of 

discretion. . . . [A]n abuse of discretion is more than a mere error 

of judgment; thus, a sentencing court will not have abused its 

discretion unless the record discloses that the judgment exercised 

was manifestly unreasonable, or the result of partiality, prejudice, 

bias or ill-will. . . .

Moury, 992 A.2d at 169-70 (citation omitted).

Where the sentencing court had the benefit of a presentence

investigation report (“PSI”), we can assume the sentencing court

“was aware of relevant information regarding the defendant's

character and weighed those considerations along with mitigating

statutory factors.” Further, where a sentence is within the

standard range of the guidelines, Pennsylvania law views the

sentence as appropriate under the Sentencing Code.

Id at 171 (citations omitted).

“Our Supreme Court has determined that where the trial court is 

informed by a [PSI], it is presumed that the court is aware of all 

appropriate sentencing factors and considerations, and that where 

the court has been so informed, its discretion should not be 

disturbed.” “The sentencing judge can satisfy the requirement 

that reasons for imposing sentence be placed on the record by 

indicating that he or she has been informed by the [PSI], thus 

properly considering and weighing all relevant factors.” 

Commonwealth v. Edwards, 194 A.3d 625, 638 (Pa. Super. Ct. 

2018), appeal denied, 202 A.3d 41 (Pa. 2019).

When imposing a sentence, “[a] court is required to consider the 

particular circumstances of the offense and the character of the 

defendant.” “In particular, the sentencing court should refer to 

the defendant’s prior criminal record, his age, personal 

characteristics, and his potential for rehabilitation.”

Moury, 992 A.2d at 171 (citations omitted).
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Here, the trial court explained:

The record in this case supports the sentence imposed by 

this Court. Notably, the sentence imposed was near the low end 

of the standard range of the sentencing guidelines. This Court 

reviewed the presentence report and considered the contents of

that report in imposing sentence. This Court was persuaded that 

the sentence imposed was appropriate because [Appellant] was 

serving a probationary sentence for a separate offense that had 

been imposed by this Court just three weeks prior to the 

[Appellant’s] commission of the robbery in this case. [Appellant]

had been involved in unlawful conduct at the Fairmont Hotel in the 

past. This Court also considered the effect [Appellant’s] actions 

had on [V]ictm. [V]ictim testified that he was traumatized by the 

events that occurred during the robbery. Based on the 

circumstances of this case, this Court believed that a county jail 

sentence was not appropriate. In this Court's view, a standard 

range sentence was the appropriate sentence. Accordingly, the 

sentence should not be disturbed.

Trial Ct. Op. at 7-8. 

The trial court weighed the information in the PSI concerning Appellant’s 

criminal history, and thus we presume it was aware of all appropriate 

sentencing factors and considerations. See Edwards, 194 A.3d at 638; 

Moury, 992 A.2d at 175. At the time he committed the crime, Appellant was 

on probation for three additional cases, one of which occurred at the Fairmont 

Hotel. The court based its sentence in part upon Appellant’s probationary 

status. See McNabb, 819 A.2d at 57. Further, Appellant’s argument does 

not specify a violation of any fundamental norm or a specific provision of the 

Sentencing Code; rather, Appellant merely reiterates his challenge to the 

sufficiency of the evidence based upon his selective version of facts in arguing 

for a lesser sentence. See id. at 56. The record demonstrates the trial court 
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considered all statutory and mitigating factors in fashioning its sentence. 

Accordingly, Appellant is not entitled to relief. 

Judgment of sentence affirmed.

Judge Olson joins this memorandum. 

Judge Musmanno files a dissenting statement. 

Judgment Entered.

Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.

Prothonotary

Date: 3/20/2020