A 45-year-old Indianapolis woman was sentenced to 10 years in prison Monday for firing a shot at an appliance repairman during a dispute over a $70 service fee.
Marion County Superior Judge Charles F. Miller handed down the sentence to Reba LaJoy Wilson after she pleaded guilty to intimidation with a deadly weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon. The charges stem from a March 2024 confrontation at her home.
Repair technician Nathaniel Baird arrived to fix Wilson's dryer and told her she owed the standard $70 house-call fee. Wilson refused to pay, pointed a handgun at Baird, blocked the door and forced him to stay, according to court records and witness accounts. As Baird fled out the back, Wilson fired one shot and shouted threats including "I'll pop a cap in your a—."
Police recovered a black and silver Smith & Wesson handgun from under a couch and a spent shell casing on the dryer door. Wilson, who has eight prior convictions and suffers from multiple sclerosis, asked for home detention instead of prison time. The judge rejected the request, calling her unworthy of community corrections.