A co-defendant in a 2021 Cranberry Township prostitution arrest withdrew her guilty plea before she was going to be sentenced Thursday, June 29, in Butler County Common Pleas Court.

Alexis Raymond, 29, of Pittsburgh, withdrew her guilty plea to a felony charge of receiving stolen property that was part of a plea agreement in which prostitution and firearms charges were going to be dismissed.

She told Judge Kelley Streib that she didn’t want to accept a felony conviction and she didn’t have anything to do with the gun involved in the case. Raymond said her co-defendant has already pleaded guilty to a firearms charge.

She also told Streib that she wanted to hire a private attorney.

Streib granted the request and scheduled a status conference for July 19.

Raymond’s court-appointed attorney, Joseph Scioscia, withdrew from representing her.

Under the plea agreement, Raymond would have been sentenced to serve 9 to 23 months in prison, but would have been immediately paroled, said Assistant District Attorney Mark Lope.

Township police arrested Raymond and co-defendant Jason Mannino, 24, of Aliquippa, following a prostitution sting on May 5, 2021.

Police said an undercover officer solicited Raymond for sex, and Raymond and Mannino were arrested when they arrived at the predetermined location. Police said they found a loaded handgun in the vehicle with Raymond and Mannino.

Raymond and Mannino were charged with conspiracy to commit receiving stolen property, receiving stolen property, firearms not to be carried without a license, conspiracy to promote prostitution, promoting prostitution and criminal use of communication facilities.

In July 2022, Mannino pleaded guilty to firearms not to be carried without a license and promoting prostitution, and was sentenced to serve 9 to 36 months in prison.