Dudley pleads guilty to 2012 second-degree robbery in Iowa City

DeMarco Dudley will likely serve at least seven years for his role in a 2012 robbery-turned-shootout that left another man dead.

At a plea hearing on Thursday, Dudley, 24, pleaded guilty to second-degree robbery, a class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness said Dudley has agreed to potentially assist the state in an unrelated case.

“The plea agreement is he is going to give us information and possibly testify against somebody else,” Lyness said, though she wouldn't identify the case.

Dudley was shot twice during an attempted robbery involving undercover narcotics officers at the Breckenridge Mobile Home Park outside of Iowa City on Aug. 16, 2012. Another man, Ivan Hardemon, was killed during that attempted robbery.

Two undercover officers with the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement went to a trailer at Breckenridge the evening of Aug. 16 and met with Hardemon. Once in the trailer, two men with covered faces holding clubs or rods emerged from the back.

Hardemon pulled a gun on the two officers while the other men patted them down. DNE agent Dan Stepleton had a gun tucked behind his back, but moved to prevent the other men from grabbing it. When Hardemon put the barrel of his gun to Stepleton's head, Stepleton pushed it away, grabbed his own firearm and fired at Hardemon.

Hardemon and the other men ran from the trailer and fled across the street to an empty lot, where  Hardemon collapsed and died, according to Lyness. Dudley made it away from the scene and was treated for his injuries at the UI Hospitals and Clinics.

Two other men allegedly present at the shootout, Dudley's brother, Norman Dudley; and John Mublah, were initially charged at the state level. But those charges were later dismissed and they were charged with drug-related offenses at the federal level. Both men pleaded guilty to charges related to the distribution of cocaine case. Norman Dudley was sentenced to 26 months and Mulbah was sentenced to 72 months.

DeMarco Dudley must serve at least seven years of his 10 year sentence. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 17.