NORTHAMPTON — The attorney for one of the three men accused in carrying out a South Hadley home invasion last November in which one person was shot in the stomach told a judge on Friday that his client didn’t know one of his alleged co-assailants was carrying a gun.

Robert VanHoy, 19, of South Hadley, previously pleaded not guilty to charges of home invasion, assault to rob with a firearm, assault and battery with a firearm and three firearm possession charges and was being held on $50,000 cash bail. After hearing arguments for bail on Friday at VanHoy’s Hampshire Superior Court arraignment, Judge Mark Mason set the amount at $25,000 cash.

VanHoy, attorney Alfred Chamberland said, has been jailed since Dec. 1. A handful of family members sat quietly behind VanHoy at Friday’s proceeding.

On the day in question, Nov. 26, 2016, VanHoy and two others, Joseph N. Massa, 18, of Chester, and Dupree A. Hinds, 30, of Chicopee, drove to an Amherst Road apartment to purchase marijuana from a 29-year-old who lived there, Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Jeremy Bucci said in court. A fourth man, who authorities have not identified, drove all three to the apartment and stayed behind in the vehicle upon arrival.

The 29-year-old victim told police he’d lived in the apartment since October and was selling marijuana for income, court records show. The man knew Massa because he’d previously sold marijuana to him, and it was Massa who reached out to him Nov. 26 so that he could buy more.

Later in the day, the three men allegedly entered the apartment, police said, and Hinds immediately pulled out the gun. He allegedly fired three shots into the man’s stomach when the man started to call 911, authorities said. The man survived after he was moved to an area hospital and treated for gunshot wounds to the abdomen.

“This was a violent episode,” Bucci said in court.

Chamberland said VanHoy only knew about the gun the moment Hinds allegedly pulled it out of his waistband. If there were a ranking of culpability among the men, Chamberland told the judge as he argued for a significantly less bail ($2,500 cash), his client would be arguably the least culpable of the defendants.

Citing his client’s struggle with heroin addiction, Chamberland said: “This is unfortunately a young man that was in a bad place that day, but not a young man who’s a flight risk.”

The judge disagreed and set bail at $25,000.

Previously, Massa pleaded not guilty Nov. 30 in Eastern Hampshire District Court to home invasion, assault and attempt to rob with a firearm, and assault and battery with a firearm, as well as three firearm possession charges.

Hinds pleaded not guilty to four firearm possession charges as well as home invasion, assault and attempt to rob with a firearm, and assault and battery with a firearm.

VanHoy is due back in court April 13.

This story has been corrected to report that VanHoy lives in South Hadley.

Michael Majchrowicz can be reached at mmajchrowicz@gazettenet.com.

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