A Greenville, N.C., man has been convicted by a Hall County Superior Court jury of a long list of charges growing out of a home invasion two years ago near Lula.
Christopher Blaine Ward, 32, was convicted Thursday after a four-day trial, according to Lee Darragh, District Attorney for the Northeastern Judicial Circuit.
Darragh said in an email that Ward was convicted of "Home Invasion, Armed Robbery, Kidnapping with Bodily Injury, Kidnapping, four counts of Aggravated Assault, and one count of a firearms charge."
Superior Court Judge Jason Deal sentenced him to life in prison plus 10 years to serve followed by 15 years on probation. A jury of three women and nine men convicted Ward after less than three hours of deliberation.
Assistant District Attorney Laura Lukert was the primary prosecutor, assisted by ADA Anna Fowler, according to Darragh.
Darragh said the incident occurred Jan. 22, 2018, and that "a large amount of cash was taken, but never recovered." One co-defendant remains at large and two others are awaiting trial or other disposition of their cases.
