District Attorney Billy Joe
Harrington announced May
16 the disposition of recent
criminal cases in the 10th
Judicial District Court.
Merrick Pikes, 24, of
Natchitoches received sentencing
for two counts of
armed robbery.
Pikes previously pleaded
guilty to the charges in
February. The guilty pleas
were related to the December
2015 armed robberies of
Dollar General on University
Parkway and Dollar General
on Highway 3175 in
Natchitoches.
At the sentencing, 10th
Judicial District Judge
Desiree Dyess sentenced Pikes
to 16 years in prison at hard
labor without benefit of
parole, probation or suspension
of sentence. The case
was prosecuted by Assistant
District Attorney Amanda
McClung.
In a separate case, Judge
Dyess sentenced Dekarius G.
Edwards, 34, to 12 years and
six months in prison, following
his guilty pleas to one
count of possession of a
firearm by a convicted felon
and one count of possession of
a firearm in the presence of a
controlled dangerous substance.
The sentence was ordered
to be served
without benefit
of parole,
probation or
suspension of
sentence.
The guilty
plea stemmed
f r o m
E d w a r d s ,
being a previously
convicted
felon, found to be in possession
of a handgun, crack
cocaine and methamphetamine
at the time of his arrest.
The case was prosecuted by
Assistant District Attorney
Chris Guillet.
