The prosecution of five former Slippery Rock University students accused of holding six other students at gunpoint with a broken handgun while they searched for marijuana appears to be reaching a climax.

The first of the five defendants was sentenced yesterday in Butler Count Court of Common Pleas. Two others pleaded guilty to reduced charges. And the final two are scheduled for a pretrial conference early next month.

Assistant Butler County District Attorney Ben Simon, prosecuting the case, has constructed a deal that will allow three of the former college students to serve a lengthy parole plus boot camp; another of the defendants -- a freshman football player on the university team -- will be "looking at some serious time;" and the final defendant, who was least involved, may fare a little better than his buddies.

Joshua Burnette, 25, Harrisburg, was sentenced by Judge William Shaffer yesterday to 14 to 30 months, but the judge noted that he will be recommended for a boot camp. He had pleaded guilty April 2 to a single count of robbery, a second-degree felony; and a single count of false imprisonment, a second-degree misdemeanor.

Two other defendants pleaded guilty on Monday to the same charges for which Mr. Burnette was sentenced yesterday. They are Blane Jefferson, 19, of North Braddock; and Jacquay Hosey, 22, of Braddock.

They are to be sentenced by Judge Shaffer on June 26. Mr. Jefferson's recommended sentence is 14 to 30 months; Mr. Hosey's recommended sentence will be 14 to 36 months. Again, both recommended plea agreements call for the men to boot-camp-eligible.

Police said the group of students went to the Ivy Apartments in Slippery Rock Township, near the university, about 2:30 a.m. Dec. 4 looking for marijuana.

They left the apartment with a small amount of the drug plus some DVDs, a video game, and wireless controllers.