Three young men in prison, another dead in botched burglary

SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO) — A judge sentenced three Sioux Falls men Wednesday for their involvement in what police called a “drug robbery gone wrong.”

All three accepted the agreements with prosecutors in the case of Paul Billion of Sioux Falls, who was killed by shooting.

On Wednesday, nearly two years after the crime, a judge sentenced Soteemon Poley to 50 years in prison.

Thomas Tarley was sentenced to 65 years in prison and Gbo Yuoh to 75 years in prison.

All three appeared in court together after pleading guilty to manslaughter in connection with the robbery and shooting of 37-year-old Paul Billion.

At the time of the crime, all three were teenagers who went to Billion’s apartment to rob him of his marijuana stash. But Billion apparently fought back and was shot.

Billion’s father Stephen discovered his son’s body four days later on the kitchen floor.

Both of Billion’s parents read their statements before the verdict was announced. Stephen called his son a peaceful person and said the violent nature of his death was difficult for his parents and five siblings.

Then he looked at the defendants and told them that he forgave them.

Paul’s mother Catherine read a statement that included: “I forgive you with all my heart. You too are victims of a culture of death in which we currently live.”

Paul Billion was hit in the head with a shovel and shot three times during the robbery.

With the help of surveillance videos from the neighborhood and good old-fashioned police work, investigators tracked down the suspects, who were then arrested one by one.

Speaking to the defendants, the judge said that people often expressed remorse at the verdict, but that the time to do so would not have come until after Paul Billion had been shot and needed medical attention to possibly save his life.

During the verdict, the judge said this case could be summed up in one word: “senseless.”
In the end, three young men end up in prison and Paul Billion loses his life because of a jar full of weed.

The judge suspended the defendants’ prison sentences for 25 years each, giving them the chance of being released at a later date.