CASSOPOLIS — An Edwardsburg man is heading to prison for assaulting a man in his Cassopolis home and stealing his money.

Nathan Kasper, 21, was sentenced to seven to 22 1/2 years in prison Friday in Cass County Circuit Court. He will receive credit for 443 days already served.

Kasper was convicted by jury in April of unarmed robbery, conspiracy to commit larceny and larceny from a person.

According to Judge Michael Dodge, the incident occurred July 17, 2009 when Kasper and his co-defendant William Thorley decided to try to sell Kasper’s Ford Bronco to Thorley’s friend Leonard Vaughn. They went to Vaughn’s Cassopolis home to negotiate.

When Vaughn, 63, asked Kasper to see the title for the vehicle, Kasper struck him in the head with a tuna can and instructed Thorley to take Vaughn’s money. Vaughn staggered to his neighbor’s home where he collapsed and was bleeding heavily.

Dodge called the incident a “vicious and unprovoked attack.”

“He (Kasper) doesn’t deserve sympathy. He deserves justice,” Prosecutor Victor Fitz said.

For his part, Kasper blamed the decision on his youth.

“It happened a long time ago,” he said. “I was a kid then. It was pathetic. I’ve changed a lot since then.”

Kasper was also ordered to pay $880 in restitution to Vaughn.