The final defendant in a Hobbs Act Robbery case has been sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in the armed robbery of a grocery and tobacco store in Hopkins, Minnesota, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. Katrice Rene Sanders, 32, received a sentence of 34 months in U.S. District Court Thursday.
Sanders was one of four individuals charged in connection with the February 15, 2024, robbery of the U.S. Grocery and Tobacco store.
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According to court documents, Sanders conspired with Darius Curtis Elam, 30, Ryan Michell Elam, 30, and Kynesha Jhaunae Jones, 34, in a meticulously planned “inside job.”
On the night of the robbery, Darius and Ryan Elam, both armed with firearms, entered the store before 10:00 p.m. They proceeded to bind three employees, using duct tape to cover their eyes, and demanded access to the store’s safe. The store manager was also pistol-whipped during the violent ordeal.
The court documents revealed that the robbery was not a spur-of-the-moment crime but was carefully orchestrated over a two-week period. Kynesha Jones, who worked at the U.S. Grocery and Tobacco store, played a crucial role by providing her co-conspirators with detailed information regarding the store’s layout and cash handling procedures.
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Sanders actively participated in the planning and supplied the getaway vehicle used after the robbery, which resulted in a total loss of approximately $45,000 for the store.
The sentencings of the other individuals involved have already taken place.
Jones was previously sentenced to 32 months in prison, while Darius Elam received a 112-month sentence, and Ryan Elam was sentenced to 109 months. All four defendants pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery and were sentenced by Judge Donovan W. Frank.
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