TYLER, Texas — Editor's Note: The above video was published on March 24, 2023.
An East Texas man was sentenced to 20 years in prison last month for a March 2023 robbery involving a gun sale that led to the deaths of two Athens teenagers at a Tyler apartment complex.
Nicholas Hudson, 19, of Malakoff, pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated robbery charges on Feb. 1 in the 475th District Court in connection with a robbery and shooting at the Royal Crest Apartments in Tyler on March 23, 2023.
He was originally charged with murder for the deaths of Donovan Dodd, 19, and a 17-year-old boy, both of Athens. But court records and documents show he took a plea deal for aggravated robbery charges instead. Hudson then received 20 years for each charge, which will be served at the same time. He received 315 days of credit for time served.
Documents state the robbery happened when a trade for an AR-15 assault rifle in exchange for a 9mm pistol and $400 cash went wrong. In an interview with police, Hudson admitted to coordinating the gun exchange. He told police he was aware of the plans to steal the AR-15 from the seller, the affidavit said.
At the scene, officers found Dodd and the 17-year-old dead with multiple gunshot wounds in a vehicle along with used shell casings, a stack of money, a pistol and two AR-15 assault rifles (one on the ground near the driver's side door and another in the back seat).
One of the two suspects, who were later no-billed by a grand jury, told police he and his associated contacted "ASG, " who was later identified as Hudson, to trade an AR-15 to ASG's associates for a 9mm pistol and $400, the affidavit read.
Hudson coordinated the meetup alongside Dodd and the 17-year-old, who were identified as Hudson's associates, in the Royal Crest Apartments parking lot
When the person who came to sell the gun, the 17-year-old passed the money toward him, but the teen would not let go of the cash, the affidavit explained. The teen started to turn around with the gun when the seller reached for his pistol, the document read.
The seller took the pistol from the teen, and fired about seven rounds into Dodd and the 17-year-old victim, according to the affidavit. The seller, who was shot as well, drove away and called EMS from a nearby home.