An identical sentence was handed down Wednesday to the second of five defendants accused of robbing Amish men after knocking them from their bicycles.

Through a plea agreement, William R. Neiswender, 18, of Nappanee, was given the same terms as Roger F. Briscoe, 23, of Nappanee, who was sentenced last week in Kosciusko Superior Court.

Coincidentally, Neiswender's required apology was nearly identical to that presented by Briscoe and stated that he was "sorry for my actions and apologize for any fear or intimidation I may have caused."

Like Briscoe, Neiswender must serve four years of a six-year prison term, with the balance suspended for probation. In addition to a public apology, he must perform 500 hours of community service, make restitution, and pay court costs and the cost of his court-appointed attorney.

Neiswender pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to commit robbery, a Class C felony. As part of an agreement, a Class D felony charge of theft was dismissed. His sentence was ordered served consecutive to a 1 1/2 year term in Marshall County on a probation violation from 1995 theft conviction.

The two men, along with Erik L. Stevenson, 18, and Jennifer Krull, 21, of Nappanee, and Jonathan R. Pickerl, 18, of South Bend, were arrested in February after several attacks on the Amish were reported to police.

The five apparently targeted the Amish men as they rode their bicycles along country roads, drove alongside them and struck them with a tire iron to knock them to the ground. The men were then robbed of their wallets. One of the incidents resulted in a victim suffering a broken collarbone.

Stevenson has entered into the same plea arrangement that Briscoe and Neiswender agreed to, while Krull and Pickerl pleaded "straight up" to the charges, leaving the sentencing terms to the discretion of the judge.

All three are scheduled to be sentenced later this month. [[In-content Ad]]