Two men were sentenced in New London Superior Court this week for their role in an armed home invasion in Jewett City on Jan. 26, 2016.

TyShawn McKethan, 35, of Norwich was sentenced Tuesday to 18 months in prison followed by three years' conditional discharge for conspiracy to commit second-degree robbery. Brandon Eaton, 24, of Griswold was sentenced Wednesday to 18 months in prison and three years of probation for second-degree robbery.

State's Attorney Michael L. Regan said the sentences were on the light side because there were issues of credibility with some of the witnesses.

A third codefendant, Daniel Ward, 19, of Sprague, also has pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 11. The case of a fourth person, Joshua Staplins, 25, of Jewett City, is pending.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, four men were watching television in an apartment at 138 Ashland St. when Eaton, Ward and a man named "Ghost," who has never been identified, knocked on the door then forced their way into the apartment, armed with a handgun and knives. "Ghost" struck one of the victim in the head with the pistol and tied him up with a vacuum cord. The assailants forced the other victims to go into a closet before ransacking the apartment and taking video game consoles, clothing, cellphones, wallets, jewelry, $1,000 in cash and marijuana, according to the document.

The victims, who were targeted because they had been selling marijuana, did not report the crime, according to Regan. Someone overheard a relative of one of the victim's talking about it the next day and called state police. In an interview with the police, one of the victims said he recognized Eaton, who had apologized to him during the home invasion. Eaton later told state police he had been kidnapped and forced to do the robbery.

Staplins was the driver, and McKethan, who was owed money by one of the codefendants from a prior drug deal, provided the car, along with latex gloves and handkerchief masks worn by the assailants, according to Regan. Known as "Murder" on the street, McKethan denied his role in the crime and said it was "below him."

McKethan pleaded guilty under the Alford Doctrine, which indicates he does not agree with the state's version of the case but did not want to risk a harsher sentence if convicted at trial. He said at his sentencing that the justice system had let him down.

Incarcerated since February 2016, both McKethan and Eaton have served the majority of their sentences and are expected to be released soon.

k.florin@theday.com