Man pleads guilty in connection to Lakewood drive-by shooting

A soldier who was part of a drive-by shooting outside a Lakewood bar won’t need to spend time behind bars, if he follows the law from now on.

Jaton Roberts, 27, pleaded guilty to attempted criminal mischief with a deadly weapon Thursday, and Pierce County Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Martin sentenced him to a suspended sentence of one year behind bars. That means he won’t need to serve the time, if he behaves.

Roberts was one of five men charged, all Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldiers who prosecutors said were part of a gang.

No one was injured in the shooting, which happened Oct. 13, 2013, outside a sports bar on 86th Street.

Text messages on a cellphone belonging to one of the men showed that they planned the shooting in retaliation for a rival gang attacking one of their members, according to charging papers.

Charges were dismissed against 25-year-old Jahrael Cromartie, and a jury found 24-year-old Derrick Jackson not guilty on all counts.

Jimmy Jones, 23, pleaded guilty to criminal mischief with a deadly weapon, and the court ordered him to get credit for the time he served in jail after his arrest.

Troy Wilson, 22, was sentenced to 15 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to one count of drive-by shooting.

This story was originally published February 4, 2016 at 5:36 PM with the headline "Man pleads guilty in connection to Lakewood drive-by shooting."