Pleas Entered In Foiled Plot At Riverton High School

COLUMBUS, Kan. (AP) -- Two teens enter guilty pleas and three plead not guilty to misdemeanor charges stemming from an alleged plot to attack their southeast Kansas high school.<br/><br/>James Tillman

Wednesday, August 9th 2006, 9:48 am

By: News On 6

COLUMBUS, Kan. (AP) -- Two teens enter guilty pleas and three plead not guilty to misdemeanor charges stemming from an alleged plot to attack their southeast Kansas high school.

James Tillman and Robert Hunt, both 17, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Cherokee County Court to one count of conspiracy to riot. The judge sentenced both to probation for the school year and released them from house arrest.

Also Wednesday, 18-year-old Charles "Coy" New, 16-year-old Caleb Byrd, 15-year-old and Andrew Jaeger pleaded not guilty to the same charge. The judge set a November 27th trial date for New. No trial date was given for the juveniles.

The students were arrested April 20th, the seventh anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre in Colorado. A message about an alleged plot for shootings at Riverton High School had appeared on the Web site Myspace.com.

Authorities said the discussion included the location of video cameras in the school and how to disable them, and the strength of the school's windows.

Cherokee County Sheriff Steve Norman has said the teens planned to disable the school's camera system before starting the attack. Sheriff's deputies found guns, ammunition, knives and coded messages in the bedroom of one suspect.