BURTON, SC (WTOC) -
A Seabrook man was sentenced Wednesday for a violent home invasion that occurred in June 2011 and left a Burton man severely beaten.
Donald Peters, 40, was convicted of first-degree burglary, armed robbery and assault and battery and sentenced to 23 years in prison.
On June 29, 2011, neighbors heard dogs barking and found a 70-year-old man who was injured and staggering through his yard, according to the Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor's Office.
Hours earlier, the man invited two prostitutes over to his house, one of whom unlocked the door. After they left, two men broke into the home, beat the man in the head with a police baton and stole an estimated $3,000, according to the Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor's Office.
A plot between 24-year-old Lauren Baughman and her friends, 29-year-old Kurtis Edwards, and Peters, was to rob the man after he fell asleep. Peters beat the victim and Edwards restrained his dog, according to the Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor's Office.
"They were looking for an easy mark," said Assistant Solicitor Meredith Bannon, of the Career Criminal Prosecution Unit, in a statement. "They picked a victim who they thought wouldn't report the crime to the police. These three dangerous criminals went to extreme lengths to get money to score more drugs. This case shows the sad consequences of prescription pill addiction in our community."
Baughman, of Burton, pleaded guilty Monday to accessory after the fact and was sentenced to five years in prison. It was a reduced sentence in exchange for her testimony.
Edwards, also of Burton, pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary, armed robbery, assault and battery and possession of a controlled substance. He also pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary for breaking into a barbershop earlier that night. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
Edwards and Peters have previous federal bank robbery convictions for separate incidents, according to the Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor's Office. They must serve at least 85 percent of their sentences before being eligible for parole as required by law.
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Lauren Baughman, Kurtis Edwards and Donald Peters (Source: Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor's Office)
Donald Peters (Source: Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor's Office)
Lauren Baughman (Source: Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor's Office)
Kurtis Edwards (Source: Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor's Office)
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