Armed robber receives year in Concord

Christopher Johnson received a sentence of one to two years in the Massachusetts Correctional Institute in Concord for armed robbery on Thursday.

Johnson has a “history of drug abuse related to crime,” Judge Judith Fabricant said before giving a reduced sentence.

The commonwealth had recommended a sentence of more than two years, but Johnson’s lawyer, Deborah Shopteese, briefly spoke with Fabricant to reduce it. The sentencing took place at Suffolk County Courthouse, and comes after a guilty plea from Johnson at a Mar. 16 hearing. Johnson appeared in court after serving 38 days before his family bailed him out with $1,500.

The casually dressed trio of Johnson and his relatives appeared tired as they waited for the sentencing. They sat through a few pre-trial conferences between Fabricant and some attorneys before their session began. The family quietly asked officers how they could get their bail money back, and that matter was settled at session’s end.

As Johnson was cuffed and escorted to Concord, he mumbled “I have a broken wrist,” as his upset family watched.

The family learned it had to pay a $150 legal fee before getting the bail money back, and was visibly upset as they could not pay the fee at that time.