WARREN — A Warren man was sentenced Wednesday to consecutive, indefinite prison sentences totaling 16 to 19.5 years by Trumbull County Common Pleas Judge Cynthia Wescott after he pleaded guilty to one count aggravated robbery, two counts of felonious assault and one count of vandalism.

Erick A. Rivers Jr., 33, was sentenced in connection with three incidents that occurred between Dec. 5 and 6, 2024.

The first incident happened at the instant Cash for Gold store in Niles, where Rivers threatened an employee with a chair demanding cash and jewelry. Reports stated Rivers got away with between $160 and $180 in cash.

After fleeing the business, Rivers then got involved in a traffic crash on Homewood Avenue SE in Warren. When the driver of the other vehicle, which also contained twin 11-year-old girls, got out of his car and walked toward Rivers, Rivers rear-ended the other vehicle, nearly striking the driver, and striking the door of the other vehicle, causing more than $1,000 damage.

The last incident involved a second crash near the Giant Eagle in Jamestown Village off Mahoning Avenue NW in Warren. Trumbull County Assistant Prosecutor Charles Morrow stated Rivers struck a Warren police officer, Dana Gilliam, in the arm with a pipe while Gilliam was investigating the crash. A struggle ensued and the officer slipped and Rivers pounced on him. The intervention of a Good Samaritan prevented more injuries to Gilliam, a police report states.

In his sentencing memo, Morrow described Rivers as a repeat violent offender and urged the court to “impose a sentence that fully reflects the extraordinary seriousness of his conduct, his escalating pattern of violent criminal behavior and the urgent need to protect the public from future harm.”

His actions on Dec. 5, 2024, “were not a momentary lapse or a single impulsive act,” Morrow wrote.

Morrow, who had asked for 19 to 23 years in prison for Rivers, said he was pleased with the sentence and praised the investigative work of both the Niles and Warren police departments.