St. Petersburg teen sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to attempted murder

St. Petersburg

A 16-year-old boy arrested nearly three years ago on charges that he shot at another boy and committed a robbery was sentenced Monday to eight years in prison.

Le'Genius Wisdom Williams of St. Petersburg, who was 13 then, pleaded guilty to shooting 15-year-old Dinarick Ford three times after the older teen reportedly taunted him. Ford survived.

The shooting happened Aug. 14, 2013. Police at the time said Williams and a small group of teens were on the sidewalk when Ford rode by on a bike. The teens began to argue.

Williams then pulled out a small-caliber gun and fired multiple times at Ford in the 1700 block of 26th Street S, police said.

Williams turned himself in to St. Petersburg police a few days later. His charge of robbery by sudden snatching stems from a separate May 2013 case.

Williams was sentenced Monday to eight years in prison on the first-degree attempted murder charge, and three years for the robbery charge, which will run concurrently.

Times staff