Opinion ID: 1223281
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Robbery Convictions

Text: Appellants maintain that they were each wrongly convicted of one count of first degree robbery based on the fact that no property or money was taken from Andrew Chiles. Andrew Chiles' wallet was recovered by his father at or near the scene of the crime and it was intact. Officer Prichard testified that Andrew Chiles did not list any amount of money as having been taken from him on his victim's statement. Citing the fact that three separate wads of cash were found on Mr. Turner when he was apprehended, the State contends that it seems unclear as to whether actual cash was taken from Andrew Chiles' person. [31] Regardless of whether Appellants recovered any cash from Andrew Chiles, the State argues that he threw his wallet on the ground in response to the demands of the assailant wielding a gun. Consequently, the wallet was initially removed from his person by one of the two statutory methods for committing the offense of robbery: threat of deadly force by the presenting of a firearm. [32] W.Va.Code § 61-2-12(a) (2005). As the State observes, the fact that the perpetrator(s) may have discarded the wallet does not negate how the wallet was obtained from Andrew Chilesby threat of deadly force by the presenting of a firearm. Id. Critically, the robbery statute under which Appellants were convicted includes both robbery and attempt to commit robbery. Accordingly, we do not find the lack of money taken from Mr. Chiles to require a reversal of Appellants' robbery convictions. [33]