Latest Legal News from the Criminal Courts of Los Angeles, California and the U.S.

April 19, 2007

SECOND DEFENDANT PLEADS GUILTY IN $300,000.00 SALINAS ROBBERY

SAN JOSE – United States Attorney Scott N. Schools announced that Jose Lito Campos, 28, of Salinas, pleaded guilty yesterday to robbery in violation of the Hobbs Act. This guilty plea is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Community Bank also assisted in the investigation.

In pleading guilty, Mr. Campos admitted to the following:

On April 2, 2004, at about 12:00 noon, Ms. Young Kim, the owner/operator of a The Corner Market, a convenience store/check cashing concern, a business engaged in interstate commerce, in Salinas, cashed a check at Community Bank in the amount of $314,125.00. Shortly thereafter, as Ms. Kim arrived at the location of her business, she was assaulted and robbed of the monies. Mr. Campos was stationed inside the Corner Market as a lookout.

A co-defendant, Christina Marie Flores, pleaded guilty on February 26, 2007. Ms. Flores had been employed by the Community Bank for one and a half years and was the Customer Service Manager at the time of the crime in 2004. Ms. Flores had informed her boyfriend, Jorge Lopez, of the specifics regarding the withdrawal.

An extensive federal investigation resulted in the April 6, 2006 indictment of Ms. Flores, Mr. Campos and Jorge Lopez. Mr. Lopez is a fugitive.

The sentencing of Mr. Campos is scheduled for July 23, 2007, before Judge Ronald M. Whyte in San Jose. The maximum statutory penalty for robbery is 20 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000.00, a 3 year supervised release term, and a $100 mandatory assessment. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the Court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

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CALIFORNIA CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER

JOSEPH SHEMARIA

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Latest Legal News from the Criminal Courts of Los Angeles, California and the U.S.