LUMBERTON — Two Robeson County men have been sentenced to prison after both were found guilty in separate murder cases in Robeson County Superior Court. One was found guilty at trial and another pleaded guilty, according to court documents.

Jason Ryan Smith, 30, of 189 Sparrow Lane, Lumberton, was found guilty on Friday of second-degree murder in the killing of 32-year-old Jesus Isidro Reyes Soto of Lumberton, according to the documents.

Judge James Floyd Ammons sentenced Smith to serve 15 to 18 years and nine months in prison, according to the documents.

On Nov. 21, 2007, Soto went to Smith’s house to collect money he said he was owed for a drywall project, according to the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office. After a debate about the amount of money that was owed, Smith shot and killed Soto, who died from his injuries two days later, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Smith was initially charged with attempted murder but the charge was upgraded to first-degree murder after Soto died, records show.

In an unrelated case, Gabriel Santiago Arias, 29, of 2049 Tobemory Road, Parkton, pleaded guilty on Aug. 11 to second-degree murder in the killing 22-year-old Fred Lorenzo Lowry on Jan. 27, 2005, records show. Arias shot Lowry three times in the chest while he was inside a parked car near the War Memorial on Broad Street in St. Pauls, according to St. Pauls police.

Judge Ola Lewis sentenced Arias to serve seven to 10 years and two months with the state Department of Correction, according to the documents.

Arias was arrested on Feb. 7, 2005, and was initially charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, and felony conspiracy to commit murder and was jailed without bond, records show.