Sawed-off Shotgun Used During Convenience Store Robbery
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - Yarbrough Latulas, 31, of Watertown, NY, was sentenced today to serve 216 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release in connection with the armed robbery of a convenience store in Watertown, announced U.S. Attorney Richard S. Hartunian. On May 22, 2015 Latulas was found guilty of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery, interference with interstate commerce by robbery, and using and carrying a sawed-off shotgun during and in relation to a crime of violence, following a five day jury trial in United States District Court in Syracuse. The sentence imposed today included an enhancement for obstruction of justice based upon the defendant’s false testimony during the trial.
The evidence at trial established that on July 31, 2013, Yarbrough Latulas and Robert Williams acted together when they entered the Sunoco mini-mart at 1222 Washington Street, Watertown, New York where Latulas stole money and tobacco products while Robert Williams pointed a sawed-off 12 gauge shotgun at the store clerk. Robert Williams pled guilty to participating in the armed robbery and will be sentenced on Nov. 12, 2015.
This prosecution resulted from an investigation conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Syracuse, New York, the Watertown Police Department and the Metro-Jefferson Drug Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ransom P. Reynolds and Nicolas Commandeur.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
