Man gets nearly 4 years in prison for punching cop

PANAMA CITY — A Panama City man on probation for exploiting a mentally disabled adult will spend the next three years in prison after punching a deputy.

While deputies with the Bay County Sheriff’s Office warrants division were attempting to arrest William Lee Robinson of Panama City for violating his five-year probation, he punched an officer in the face before trying to flee on foot. Robinson, 29, was sentenced Wednesday to three years and nine months in a correctional facility for the incident.

He had changed addresses without consent and then fled to Alabama to avoid arrest before authorities caught up with him in February.

Robinson had been released after pleading no contest to charges he, his brother and sister-in-law in March 2013 convinced a mentally disabled adult to make several purchases, totaling more than $1,000, and to take out three lines of cellphone service for them.

Robinson admitted Shawn and Ann Smitherman acted as accomplices in opening a bank account for the victim, then lied to her, telling her that disability checks were coming into the account. The three then convinced the victim to sign off on starter checks for the purchases, according to court records.

An AT&T wireless contract with three lines of service also was taken out at that time in the victim’s name. Court documents stated the three were present for each of the transactions.