2 men plead no contest to charges related to November shooting

By Kyle Feldscher Crime and courts reporter

Posted on Tue, Jun 12, 2012 : 2:15 p.m.

Arndola Lewis

Two men pleaded no contest Monday to charges related to a November shooting at the In & Out convenience store in Ypsilanti Township, according to court records.

Arndola Lewis, a 39-year-old Ypsilanti Township man, pleaded no contest to a charge of assault with intent to do bodily harm less than murder, records show. His co-defendant, Antjuan Pitts, a 31-year-old Westland man, pleaded no contest to accessory after the fact of a felony, according to court officials.

Lewis and Pitts were scheduled to begin their trial on Monday morning but accepted the plea deals before proceedings began.

The charges stem from a shooting at 12:55 p.m. Nov. 5 at the store, 1100 Share Ave. Lewis was accused of shooting at least 12 gunshots at an occupied car. No one was shot, but one person was reportedly injured in the incident. Pitts was accused of driving the get-away car.

Lewis was originally charged with two counts of assault with intent to murder, possessing a firearm while being a convicted felon, possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony and carrying a concealed weapon. All of the other charges against Lewis will be dropped at the time of sentencing, according to court officials.

Antjuan Pitts

In addition to the charge of accessory after the fact of a felony, Pitts pleaded no contest to a charge of possession of a controlled substance less than 25 grams that stemmed from an Aug. 6, 2011, incident, records show.

Pitts had been originally charged with possessing a firearm while being a convicted felon, possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony and two counts of assault with intent to murder. All the charges other than the ones Pitts pleaded no contest to will be dropped at sentencing, officials said.

Pitts is listed as a parolee and has previously been convicted of possessing less than 25 grams of cocaine and delivery/manufacture of marijuana in 2004. He was also convicted in 2000 of several charges, including assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder; carrying a concealed weapon; assaulting, resisting or obstructing a police officer and receiving and concealing stolen property worth more than $1,000 but less than $20,000, according to state records.

Lewis has previously served time for carrying a concealed weapon, assault with intent to rob while armed and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, all from a 1999 offense, state records show.

The two men are scheduled to be sentenced by Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge Melinda Morris at 1:30 p.m. July 9, records show.

A plea of no contest is not an admission of guilt, but is treated as such for purposes of sentencing.

Pitts faces up to five years in prison on both charges. Lewis faces up to 10 years in prison.

Both men are still currently lodged at the Washtenaw County Jail.