Jones accepts plea from murder charge

Published 9:25 am Thursday, November 3, 2016

Former Davie High basketball standout Robert Nathaniel “Nate” Jones, 22, of Sycamore Lane, Mocksville, was sentenced Monday for his part in the shooting of a Winston-Salem man in 2015.

Jones was charged with attempted first degree murder and conspiracy to commit first degree murder. Both of those were dismissed as part of a plea arrangement that allowed Jones to plead guilty to assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury.

He received a sentence of 58 to 82 months in prison, with credit for the 447 days spent in jail awaiting trial. He was ordered to submit a DNA sample and have no contact with the victim, Justin Mobley, or the co-defendants, Cedric Jones and Brittany Wilson.

Jones, Wilson, and Cedric Jones were arrested after Mobley was found shot in the chest and thigh at the entrance to the Farmington Pet Cemetery off Wyo Road July 24, following hours of partying with Wilson and then later with all three.

The shooting occurred four months after Jones, an award-winning guard under Coach Mike Absher, finished his first season playing basketball at Davidson County Community College. There, he averaged 24.1 points a game, making him ninth best in the nation. At Davie, he averaged 23.6 points and was the Central Piedmont 4-A player of the year and an East-West All-Star.

In September 2015, Wilson was indicted by a grand jury on the felony charge accessory after the fact to attempted first degree murder. Cedric Jones was indicted on attempted first degree murder, conspiracy to commit first degree murder, and accessory after the fact to attempted first degree murder. Their cases are on the calendar of the current session of Superior Court.

Appearing before Judge Jerry Cash Martin, Jones, shackled and in an orange jumpsuit, did not address the court. Several of his family members were in the courtroom.

Jones was also ordered to pay court costs and an attorney fee of $943.80.