21-year-old sentenced to 10 years for 2014 robbery

A 21-year-old Cedar Rapids man who robbed and threatened a man with a gun in 2014 was sentenced to a mandatory 10 years in prison on Tuesday in Linn County District Court.

Devonte Safforld made an Alford plea to second-degree robbery. He and others agreed to give Robert K. Norman a ride from Marion to Center Point, according to a criminal complaint. But when they stopped, Safforld pulled Norman out of the car, displayed a handgun and robbed him of $200.

Safforld admitted during the plea hearing to pointing the gun at Norman and demanding money.

Sixth Judicial District Judge Chad Kepros said Safforld will have to serve seven years of the sentence before being eligible for parole.

Safforld threatened to 'shoot up” a party that ended in Latasha Roundtree, 19, being killed in 2012, according to testimony in her murder trial.

Tajh Ross, 20, convicted for first-degree murder, along with three other defendants, testified they got information from another person that Safforld was coming to shoot people at the party on Sept. 22, 2012, and they brought guns to defend themselves.

Safforld was called to testify in the Ross trial, but after showing up in court he became 'volatile” and refused to take the stand, First Assistant Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks said after his plea hearing.

Ross killed Roundtree, 19, who was coming to the party with her two friends that night. Ross fired his .40-caliber handgun at the car, hitting Roundtree in the head. She wasn't targeted, but she was the only victim.