Javon Hurston
Courtesy of WCSO
A 35-year-old Ypsilanti Township man who police say robbed a graduation party at gunpoint last summer and ordered people to strip took a plea deal in the Washtenaw County Trial Court Monday.
Police said some of the victims jumped off a second-floor balcony to escape during the robbery.
Javon Hurston pleaded no contest to possession with intent to deliver marijuana, assault with a dangerous weapon, felon in possession of a weapon, carrying a concealed weapon and felony firearm.
Thirteen counts will be dismissed, including seven counts of armed robbery, five counts of assault with intent to rob while armed and one count of first-degree home invasion.
Police say Hurston and an unidentified second suspect were outside in the 2100 block of Golfside Drive in Ypsilanti Township on June 4, 2012, around 2:30 a.m. when they encountered two women who were coming from a nearby apartment, where a graduation party was being held.
In court Monday, Hurston said the woman wanted to buy drugs from him.
"I was approached by some ladies who wanted to buy marijuana," he said.
Hurston and the second man, also armed, tried to rob the women, said Sgt. Geoff Fox of the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office.
“Both of them brandished guns and pointed them at them,” Fox said.
The women, however, didn't have anything to give them, so the men decided to make the women take them up to the graduation party, Fox said.
Once inside the apartment, police say Hurston and the other man robbed a dozen or so people of drugs, money, cellphones and jewelry at gunpoint.
“They told people to strip down,” Fox said.
It wasn't clear whether people actually had time to strip or not, Fox added. The report did indicate that some people jumped from a balcony to escape, he said.
The two men fled after someone at the party yelled that police had arrived, when in fact they hadn't.
Police recovered some of the cellphones nearby later that morning. A ring that was also found with the phones was later linked to Hurston, Fox said.
Hurston continues to be held at the Washtenaw County Jail. He is scheduled to be sentenced May 20.
Police continue to investigate who the second suspect is. Hurston has not cooperated with questioning, Fox said.
John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.