In two separate trials this week, a New Orleans man accused of robbing a Slidell bank was found guilty and a Mandeville man accused of raping a 9-year-old pleaded guilty this week at the 22nd Judicial Court in Covington.

A 12-person jury convicted Kerri Smith, 22, within 10 minutes on two counts of armed robbery with a firearm and one count of stolen property possession, District Attorney Walter Reed spokesman Rick Wood said.

Meanwhile, Kenneth Sargent, 35, was sentenced to 30 years for his forcible rape guilty plea, a charge amended from aggravated rape with the consent of the victim’s family member’s, Wood said. Aggravated rape carries the possible death sentence when the act involves children. “The victim’s family was present and agreed to the deal,” Wood said. “The victim didn’t want to testify unless absolute necessary.”

Sargent is currently serving a 10-year sentence for aggravated battery stemming from a 2003 attack against the victim’s mother. The rape, which occurred in 2001, came to light during that investigation, Wood said. Sargent faced up to 40 years and no less than five years in prison for the forcible rape charge.

In a nearby courtroom, Smith was convicted to the armed robbery after admitting to Slidell Police that he participated in the robbery of Statewide Bank on Gause Boulevard in Slidell, Sept. 21, 2006 to buy a car to commute to Delgado Community College where he was studying to be a mortician.

Smith faces up to 99 years and no less than 10 years for the armed robbery charge when sentenced May 12 by State Judge Peter Garcia.

Smith and three cohorts, Robert Smith, 30, of Harvey; Ronnie Carter, 19 and Cornell Moore, 26, both of New Orleans, allegedly planned the heist two week in advance, stealing a Black Ford Explorer from New Orleans car thieves for a getaway car, according to testimony confirmed by Wood.

Those three men are awaiting trial, Wood said.

“They planned it in Slidell expecting it to be an easy armed robbery,” Wood said. But the foursome didn’t suspect the $100 stolen bills to be wrapped in electronic money bands designed to trip security alarms, he said.

The dummy bills are designed to “prove without a shadow of a doubt” a robbery has occurred, Wood said.

The men were arrested after a brief car chase through Slidell where the alleged getaway driver, Moore, ran a stop sign and smacked into a parked car, Wood said.