3 sentenced in Rev. Winans' carjacking

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DETROIT, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Three young men who beat, robbed and carjacked the Rev. Marvin Winans, a Detroit pastor and gospel singer, were sentenced Thursday to up to 20 years in prison.

Montoya Givens and Christopher Moorehead, both 20 and from Detroit, and Brian Young, 18, of Clinton Township pleaded guilty in October to carjacking and unarmed robbery charges in the May 16 incident. They were sentenced in Wayne County Circuit Court.

Winans, founder of Detroit's Perfecting Church and eulogizer of singer Whitney Houston at her February funeral, was beaten and robbed of his automobile, wristwatch and money at a Detroit gas station, The Detroit News reported Thursday.

"The pastor says his hope, as a result of the plea deal, is that these men use this as a wake-up call to get their lives together," Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Kam Towns said at the sentencing.

Winans, 54, was not at the hearing.