A St. Mary’s judge has sentenced a Hughesville man to serve 18 months in jail from his guilty plea to conspiring to commit a robbery in an April 2011 holdup at a Hollywood pharmacy.

Marcus Paul Cannon, now 25, did not enter St. John’s Pharmacy, but the judge said last week that he deserved no less of a penalty than the 18-month active sentence that was imposed last fall on another man charged in the crime, 33-year-old Jody Thorne Sanna of Indian Head.

Law officers arrested Sanna moments after the holdup at the pharmacy, where court papers state a man claiming to have a gun demanded and received three bottles of Percocet and oxycodone from a pharmacist. Police arriving at the scene had seen Cannon with a car near the pharmacy, court papers state, and they later arrested him at his workplace in White Plains after Sanna identified him as his partner in planning the crime.

A prosecutor and defense lawyer said at the sentencing hearing that Cannon has a drug problem and needs treatment.

“He’s calling out for help from the court,” defense lawyer Thomas Pyles said.

Cannon said during the hearing, “I’m sorry for what I did. I do need help. I have a serious drug problem.”

St. Mary’s Circuit Judge Michael J. Stamm sentenced Cannon to six years and six months in prison, suspended to 18 months in the county jail, with work-release privileges and credit for 257 days served in pretrial custody, to be followed by five years of supervised probation. The judge said Cannon can seek participation in a drug court program.

“I don’t see any reason to give him any less of a sentence. I don’t count anyone who drives a getaway vehicle as any less culpable,” Stamm said. “You and [the other participant] robbed a drug store, robbed it for drugs. This is your punishment for that crime you committed. As long as you have a drug problem, you are a danger to our community.”

jwharton@somdnews.com