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Ramone Tyvon Smith Jr., 22, of Andalusia, pled guilty Thursday to first degree burglary for the 2023 home invasion at a Gantt residence. Following the plea, Smith was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

The Covington County District Attorney’s Office said evidence showed that Smith’s female co-defendants arranged a visit to the victim’s home where Smith and others forcibly entered the home while masked and armed. During the burglary, the victim was shot.

“Smith’s plea brings final resolution to the case involving nine defendants,” District Attorney Walt Merrell said. “Each of the others named Smith as having a gun, which was also corroborated by other evidence. He’s dangerous, and because first degree burglary is classified as a violent offense, he won’t be eligible to earn ‘good time’ while serving his sentence.”

Other evidence showed that the group of nine traveled from Troy to the victim’s residence in Gantt under the pretense of borrowing money. Though the victim was shot, the injury was not life threatening and he survived. The nine defendants fled the home with only $40, officials said.

“Resolution of this case — these nine cases — has been difficult at times. We have attempted to consider each defendant’s level of culpability and plead them accordingly. Smith and his co-defendant, Elizabeth Mitchell, received the same 25-year sentence, as both appeared the ringleaders in the crimes. Mitchell set up the victim for the burglary and Smith was the primary aggressor. Under no circumstance will that behavior be tolerated in this county,” Merrell said.

Merrell expressed his appreciation to the Covington County Sheriff’s Office, particularly those in the Criminal Investigations Division, for their extensive work on the case.

“Those men worked tirelessly to collect evidence, develop suspects, conduct hours upon hours of interviews, and pull it together for successful prosecution. I hope now the victim finds healing and closure and moves on from this horrific event,” Merrell said.