Poker robber gets 25 years

Woman wielded gun to steal $27,000 from game in Putnam County

WINFIELD, W.Va. -- The woman who stole $27,000 from a Putnam County poker game last year was sentenced to 25 years in prison Friday morning.

Putnam County Circuit Court Judge O.C. Spaulding sentenced Jacqueline Dennis, 28, to 25 years in prison for her role in robbing a group of men at gunpoint in November 2007.

Dennis pleaded guilty to armed robbery last month and agreed to testify against her alleged accomplice.

As part of her plea agreement with Putnam County prosecutors, Dennis was to be sentenced to no less than 10 years in prison.

Joseph K. Reeder, Dennis' attorney, said after Friday's hearing that Spaulding's sentencing was harsher than his client expected.

Reeder said he plans to appeal the sentencing or file a motion for reconsideration.

"My guess is, it was because a gun was involved," Reeder said.

Dennis will be eligible for parole in about eight years, or after she serves one-third of her sentence.

Time already served will apply, Reeder said.

Dennis has been incarcerated since her initial arrest in 2007 because she was unable to make her $40,000 bail, he said.

As part of the agreement, the prosecution remained silent during the sentencing trial.

They do reserve the right to comment when she comes up for parole.

WINFIELD, W.Va. -- The woman who stole $27,000 from a Putnam County poker game last year was sentenced to 25 years in prison Friday morning.

Putnam County Circuit Court Judge O.C. Spaulding sentenced Jacqueline Dennis, 28, to 25 years in prison for her role in robbing a group of men at gunpoint in November 2007.

Dennis pleaded guilty to armed robbery last month and agreed to testify against her alleged accomplice.

As part of her plea agreement with Putnam County prosecutors, Dennis was to be sentenced to no less than 10 years in prison.

Joseph K. Reeder, Dennis' attorney, said after Friday's hearing that Spaulding's sentencing was harsher than his client expected.

Reeder said he plans to appeal the sentencing or file a motion for reconsideration.

"My guess is, it was because a gun was involved," Reeder said.

Dennis will be eligible for parole in about eight years, or after she serves one-third of her sentence.

Time already served will apply, Reeder said.

Dennis has been incarcerated since her initial arrest in 2007 because she was unable to make her $40,000 bail, he said.

As part of the agreement, the prosecution remained silent during the sentencing trial.

They do reserve the right to comment when she comes up for parole.

As part of her plea agreement in September, Dennis admitted to using a firearm that she took from Andy Assi's truck.

Dennis and Assi have a child together.

Dennis, and allegedly Kimberly Steinbrecher, her accused accomplice, robbed six men taking part in a high-stakes poker game in a storage building behind a bar on W.Va. 34 near Hurricane.

Dennis said in September that she knew about the games because Assi took part in them. He was present the night of the robbery.

Assi was scheduled to testify against Dennis at her initial hearing on Sept. 4.

As part of the plea agreement, Dennis will repay the money she took. Dennis said in September the women only stole $18,000.

Steinbrecher, 45, turned herself in to police a few days after the robbery. Dennis, who lived in Kenova in Wayne County, was on the run for about two weeks.

Dennis had told police she spent her share of the money in Atlantic City and New York.

"I blew it. I spent it on different things - drugs, different stuff," she said in September.

Steinbrecher has not been indicted. She has been charged with two counts of armed robbery.

The six men involved in the illegal gambling game have not been charged.

Charleston gazette

News Added: 27 October, 2008

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