RENO, Nev. - A federal jury found a felon guilty of stealing a car at gunpoint, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
After a four-day trial, a jury found Eric Romero-Lobato, 39, guilty of one count of carjacking, one count of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Romero-Lobato has prior convictions for unlawful reentry by a deported person and for eluding a police officer.
United States District Judge Larry R. Hicks presided over the trial and scheduled a sentencing hearing on Nov. 19, 2019. The maximum penalty is life imprisonment.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Romero-Lobato, armed with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, stole a car from an individual at gunpoint. Reno Police Department officers located the stolen vehicle within hours of the carjacking. Romero-Lobato lead the police on a high speed chase before wrecking the stolen car. He was then apprehended. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Reno Police Department.
Romero-Lobato is in custody and is awaiting a jury trial for the remaining counts in the indictment. The charges are related to the attempted robbery of a bar and grill in Sparks. The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sparks Police Department. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Rachow and Steven Myhre are prosecuting both cases.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide program by the Department of Justice that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, the Department announced the reinvigoration of PSN. For more information about PSN, visit www.justice.gov/usao-nv.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
