Bristol Man Guilty In 2018 Shooting, Robbery, Beating

BRISTOL BOROUGH, PA — One man has been convicted and another pleaded guilty for their roles in a violent robbery in Bristol last year in which one man was shot in the face and another beaten in the street.

Jonathan Black, 22, of Bristol Borough, was found guilty Thursday of 28 counts, including four counts of attempted murder, multiple counts of robbery and aggravated assault, criminal conspiracy and related charges.

The charges stem from a June 3, 2018 robbery attempt that happened just before 11 p.m. in the area of Spruce and Headley streets.

The jury found that Black intended to kill the four people in a white Volkswagen Jetta when he fired at least two shots from a .380 semi-automatic handgun into it.

One bullet hit a rear passenger in the face and another lodged into one of the Jetta's tires. Despite serious injuries, the passenger survived.

After three days of testimony in the case, jurors returned their verdict of guilty on all counts after about three hours of deliberation on Thursday.

Black's sentencing was deferred to a later date by Judge Rea B. Boylan.

According to prosecutors, Black conspired with co-defendant Jordan Jones to cheat one of the Jetta's passengers on a gun sale. They later decided on a strong-arm robbery, after realizing the victims had marijuana.

Black — who went by the street name "J Weezy" — agreed via Snapchat to sell a gun to one of the victims for $450. When they met, prosecutors said, he gave the victim an empty bag in exchange for the money.

After the Jetta drove off, Black messaged the victims to return, claiming he'd forgotten to put the gun in the bag. When they did, Jones yanked a passenger from the car, the two defendants assaulted him in the street and Black pulled a gun.

Jones ducked his head into the car in an attempt to steal items from the passengers. But the Jetta began to pull away. As it did, Black ran after it and fired his handgun, screaming that he wanted to kill everyone in the car.

Bristol Borough Police stopped the car later the same evening, after the passenger shot in the face had been dropped off at the hospital. After a few weeks on the run, Black and Jones were arrested at an apartment in Bensalem belonging to Black's girlfriend.

Jones, 19, admitted to his role in the incident and pleaded guilty to charges of robbery and conspiracy. He was sentenced Friday to 4-10 years in state prison, with 15 years probation.