Antwoine Noland sentenced to 25 years

TAMPA (FOX 13) - Prosecutors say Antwoine Noland was so intent upon staying out of jail, he resorted to murder. 

But before that, investigators say he tried to pay off witnesses for their silence.

Hillsborough Circuit Judge Kimberly Fernandez read the criminal complaint in court.

"The defendant approached a witness, Ricky Robinson, and offered to pay him $500 if he could convince Ms. Fussell not to testify against him," said Fernandez.

Prosecutors say he even tried to bribe the woman he shot in the foot, Alicia Fussell.

"The defendant indicated he would he would pay Ms. Fussell $2,000 in exchange for him not testifying against him," read Judge Fernandez.

And when Fussell refused his bribe, detectives say he shot her again, in the parking lot of a Tampa business in late July. Fussell died.

Thursday, Noland was set to plead guilty to the first charge of shooting Fussell in the foot.

But then he changed his mind, and wanted to withdraw his guilty plea because he says his first lawyer didn't do her job.

"I didn't feel like Ms. Coy would give me a fair trial. She told me she did not believe anything that I was saying, so I was afraid to go to trial with her," said Noland.

But his former attorney, Teresa Pierre-Coy said she did everything she could to help Noland, but he didn't do anything to help himself.

"We had several appointments for the office, that he he would either not show up or cancel them, and he ultimately did make it to one appointment," said Coy.

In the end, Judge Fernandez believed Coy over Noland, and his guilty plea stands. She then sentenced him to 25 years in prison. Although Noland will be back to court to face a murder charge.