Kearney man convicted of robbery, drug charges related to 2023 crime spree

KEARNEY, Neb. — A Kearney man will face sentencing for his role in a 2023 armed robbery and vehicle theft.

27-year-old Ronnie Swartz pleaded no contest last week to robbery, drug possession and obstructing an officer. As part of a plea deal, three other drug and theft charges were dropped.

The charges date back to May of last year. Police said at the time that Swartz and 27-year-old Jerome Quinn robbed a man at gunpoint inside his home. Later, authorities accused Swartz and Quinn of stealing a woman’s pickup and shooting at her as she chased them. Officers eventually arrested them while they appeared to be stealing items from another home.

Swartz is scheduled for a sentencing hearing on October 25. He could face a maximum of 50 years in prison or a minimum of one year.

Quinn made a similar plea deal earlier in August. He will be sentenced for six convictions on October 18.