ELKINS — A Masontown man has been sentenced in Randolph County Circuit Court to one to three years for a shoplifting offense that occurred in 2023.

Robert Ray Cale, 44, was sentenced by Randolph County Circuit Court Judge David Wilmoth to no less than one, no more than three years in jail, with credit for time already served.

He was also sentenced by Wilmoth to pay restitution to Elkins GoMart, where the shoplifting occurred.

Cale was indicted in 2023 for third-offense shoplifting, a felony. He is currently being held at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail.

Before sentencing, Cale’s attorney, Morris Davis, asked Wilmoth for a short continuance of the sentencing to a later date. Davis explained that Cale has several pending charges in Monongalia County that Davis wanted to familiarize himself with before going through with sentencing.

Wilmoth denied the continuance, stating he didn’t believe the Monongalia County charges would have any impact on the Randolph County court’s decision in sentencing Cale.

Davis told the court that Cale, despite his criminal history, was working on bettering his life, and asked that Wilmoth give Cale an alternative sentence.

“(Cale) is trying to clean things up,” Davis told the court. “He is trying to better himself. He’s currently trying to… gain entry into a rehabilitation facility through his public defender in Morgantown… we would ask the court, take some mercy on him.”

Cale also addressed the court before sentencing, stating that he apologizes for “any inconvenience (he) may have caused.”

Though the state, as per a previous plea agreement with Cale, did not have a recommendation for sentencing, Assistant Randolph County Prosecutor Colin Henning asked the court to impose a $50 restitutionary penalty on Cale that would go to Elkins GoMart.

After sentencing Cale, Wilmoth explained that he didn’t think probation was appropriate in this position as this was Cale’s sixth shoplifting offense, and Cale also had a lengthy criminal history.