3 men sentenced to prison for armed Cherokee County home invasion

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. - Two Acworth men will spend decades in prison for a 2022 home invasion and armed robbery in Canton.

Kaiden Luc Pridgen, 19, and Cibias John Vieira, 23, were sentenced after pleading guilty to multiple charges in March.

What we know:

Prosecutors say that the investigation began on the night of Feb. 4, 2022. That night, deputies received 911 calls about a home invasion taking place near Lower Birmingham Road in Canton.

The victims told deputies that two people wearing masks and gloves entered their home and demanded money. During the situation, a suspect hit one of the victims with a firearm, leaving them visibly injured. The other was held at gunpoint while the two invaders searched the home for cash.

After not finding any money, the two men left the home.

Investigators say they used cell tower records and geofence data to identify the two suspects as Pridgen - who was then 16 years old - and Vieira. Social media accounts reportedly showed the pair holding guns and cash.

Authorities believe the men were trying to rob a man who had previously lived in the home.

What they're saying:

 "In making the determination to prosecute a 16-year-old defendant as an adult, the State considered the violent nature of this crime and determined it is in the interest of public safety to prosecute him accordingly. Cherokee County District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway said. "We are committed to holding all dangerous offenders accountable and ensuring the safety of our community."

Pridgen and Vieira pleaded guilty to first-degree home invasion, criminal attempt to commit armed robbery, kidnapping, three counts of aggravated assault, possession of tools for the commission of a crime, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

 "Home invasion is among the most terrifying of crimes because it involves invading the sanctity of a person’s home. These victims did not have anything physically taken from them, but they were robbed of their peace of mind, which is something that can never be replaced," said Assistant District Attorney Megan S. Hertel. "The defendants in this case demonstrated a complete disregard for the law and for the collateral consequences of their actions."

Following their guilty pleas, a judge sentenced Pridgen and Vieira to 35 years with the first 25 in confinement. Pridgen is banned from Cherokee County while serving the rest of his probation and both men are forbidden from having contact with each other.

Dig deeper:

A third man, identified as 22-year-old Woodstock resident David Emory Kelley, was prosecuted separately and pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary and conspiracy to commit home invasion. 

David Emory Kelley (Cherokee County Sheriff's Office)

Prosecutors say Kelley selected the target and served as the driver in the crime. He had been cooperating with investigators during the prosecution of the case. 

Kelley was sentenced to 20 years, with the first 5 years to serve in prison and the remainder to serve on probation.