Pair sentenced after brutally robbing NKY veteran, prosecutor says

COVINGTON (WXIX) – Two men received lengthy prison sentences Tuesday in the assault of a veteran for which they were found guilty in December.

Prosecutors suspected the attack happened because the men were after the 62-year-old victim’s disability check, which he had received just a day earlier.

Kenton County Circuit Court Judge Patricia Summe sentenced Anthony Cornist, 62, of Covington, to 17 years in prison.

Summe sentenced Robert Stone, 40, of Cincinnati, to 30 ears in prison.

The attack happened at the Golden Towers apartments in Covington on June 5, 2020.

Cornist, Stone and an unknown woman rode an elevator to the victim’s floor, according to the prosecutor’s office, after which the men hid on either side of the victim’s door while the woman knocked.

Surveillance video shows the attack.

The men rush inside when the victim opens the door. The victim escapes into the hall but the men punch him until he falls and then kick him in the head.

“This was an ambush and a savage attack,” said Kenton County Assistant Prosecutor Emily Arnzen, who led the prosecution.

Arnzen says it was Cornist who knew the victim had received a disability check.

Stone can be seen on the video going through the victim’s pockets as the victim lay unconscious on the ground. Per the prosecutor’s office, the video then shows Stone apparently checking out a rosary around the victim’s neck to see if it was worth stealing.

“The victim was a 62-year-old Marine veteran who did nothing to hurt anyone,” said Arnzen.” And he deserved respect for his service, not a beating.”

She notes a robbery does not require anything being stolen but that it’s enough for force to be used in an attempt to accomplish a theft.

“This attack was vicious,” said Arnzen. “But it was totally senseless as well because the defendants gained nothing but a prison sentence from it.”

The victim had a fractured orbital and a fractured arm. His arm required surgery. Doctors permanently inserted pins in the victim’s arm to put his bones back together. To this day, according to the prosecutor’s office, the victim continues to suffer from pain in his arm and shoulders.

A Kenton County jury convicted Cornist and Stone on counts of robbery, burglary and assault.

Summe followed the jury’s sentencing recommendations precisely, offering that the jury “had set the standards for appropriate punishment given the facts of the case, and there was no reason to second guess the jury’s decision,” per the prosecutor’s office.

Cornist must serve 10 years before being parole eligible. Stone must serve 17 years before being parole eligible.

If you know who the woman in the video is, you’re urged to contact Covington police at 859-292-2222.

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