Hickory Man Gets 10 To 15 Years For Multiple Robberies

A Hickory man was sentenced to an active prison term of 10 to 15 years on Wednesday, (July 26) after a jury found him guilty of multiple robbery offenses a week earlier.

21-year-old Nkosi Abernethy was given the sentence by the Honorable Bradley B. Letts, Superior Court Judge from Haywood County, following his conviction for two counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon, attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon, and breaking and entering.

A Catawba County jury found Abernethy guilty of the crimes after less than 90 minutes of deliberation on Wednesday, July 19, to wrap up a three-day trial. Sentencing was deferred until July 26, when Judge Letts entered the judgment and length of the defendant’s prison term.

The offenses took place December 7, 2021. Officers from Hickory Police Department responded to a 911 call at a residence where two masked men entered the home through a back door just after 8 a.m. and held four victims at gunpoint as they demanded money.

The defendant and a second assailant took a pistol, shotgun and a small amount of cash before leaving the scene. Neighbors saw two masked men with a long gun run though the yard of the residence and jump a privacy fence. Three of the four victims were able to identify Abernethy as one of the assailants. The second suspect still has not been identified.

Story; Rob Eastwood-WHKY