Robert Rowe Pleads Guilty To NCHS Vandalism
One of three men accused of vandalizing Natrona County High School in September pleaded guilty in Natrona County District Court on Thursday to two charges filed against him.
Robert Rowe, according to a plea agreement reached by his attorney and the district attorney's office, will spend 90 days in jail for a misdemeanor count of criminal entry plus two to five years probation for one count of felony property destruction.
If Rowe meets the terms of his probation, state law allows the felony count to not appear on his court record because it is a first-time felony conviction, District Court Judge Catherine Wilking told him.
The count of misdemeanor criminal entry was reduced from a count of burglary, which is a felony. Two other felony counts -- conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to commit property destruction -- were dismissed.
Rowe, who was 22 at the time of his arrest, will be sentenced later. Wilking said she is not bound to follow the plea agreement if she finds the pre-sentence report is too severe or too lenient.
He also will be required to pay $7,493.41 in restitution, which is one-third of the value of the damaged property at the high school.
During his plea, Rowe said he and Courtland Lovato and Kasey Ford were drinking at Galloway's Pub late Friday Nov. 19 and 20 when they decided to go on an adventure.
They went to the high school which has been undergoing a massive renovation. They found an entrance covered by a sheet of plywood, broke through it and entered the school, he said.
"We started looking around and things got out of hand," Rowe said.
According to court records, the three men vandalized rooms, pushed over a vending machine, and even put metal cups into a microwave. The latter attempt at vandalism didn’t work because the breaker tripped and shut off the appliance.
Rowe remains free on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond.