Tag: armed robbery

On New Year’s Eve, a 25-year-old man apparently walked into a Quiznos sandwich shop and robbed the store of $310 dollars. For that, he was charged with federal crimes, including possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and interference with commerce by robbery. For the firearm charge alone he could be sentenced to life in prison; for the robbery charge he will face a minimum of ten years and a maximum of 20 years. What really is at question, however, is why the man was charged under federal law.
When most people in the Twin Cities hear about a 16-year prison sentence, they assume the person convicted did something extremely horrible or heinous so as to get such a large sentence. Unfortunately, some courts throw out these lengthy sentences for something as minor as a robbery or a felon in possession of a firearm charge. As a 42-year-old Minneapolis man pled guilty to the weapons charge and interference with commerce by robbery, he may never have imagined that he would spend the next 195 months behind bars.
It is undeniable that Minnesota and federal laws are meant to protect us, but sometimes they are so inflexible that someone who makes a minor mistake could face decades behind bars. Without taking into consideration the specific details of an alleged crime, a court and jury cannot accurately determine if someone is guilty and what kind of punishment he or she should receive. For example, if a Minneapolis man was convicted of taking $1,890 from a bank, should he receive 25 years behind bars?