Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 10, 1994 TAG: 9406170103
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: |By KATHY LOAN| |STAFF WRITER|
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Zelenak, 22, had turned down an offer of 15 years in prison for her role in two 1992 robberies in Pulaski County.
Thursday, Circuit Judge Dow Owens sentenced her to serve 25 years based on her pleas of no contest to two charges of robbery as well as malicious wounding and conspiracy.
She already is serving life plus 16 years after being convicted in Montgomery County of participating in the murder of a shoe store manager and the attempted robbery of a pizza manager.
The Pulaski County charges revolve around two May 1992 robberies.
Jim Duke, owner of Jim's Steak House, was attacked as he walked home with his daily receipts. Duke was struck with a baseball bat and robbed by Brent Cook as part of a plan conceived by Cook, Zelenak and her then-boyfriend Paul W. Morehead, according to Steve Plott, assistant commonwealth's attorney.
At Zelenak's earlier pleading, Plott said she was also a participant in the robbery of a Pizza Hut employee who was accosted as he made a night deposit at Premier Bank. Plott said Morehead committed the robbery and Zelenak drove the getaway car.
Thursday, Plott said Zelenak may claim she was forced by Morehead to participate in the robberies, but he thinks otherwise.
"I believe she was in up to her neck. She was a willing co-conspirator," Plott said.
Zelenak had turned down a plea agreement that would have given her the same sentence Morehead received.
by CNB