June 18, 2009

PACIFIC POSTAL CREDIT UNION ROBBER SENTENCED TO 11 YEARS AND 1 MONTH IN PRISON

SAN FRANCISCO – Just under four months after pleading guilty to armed bank robbery of the Pacific Postal Credit Union in San Francisco, Sefo Sagote was sentenced to 11 years and one month in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, United States Attorney Joseph P. Russoniello announced.

Sagote, 27, pleaded guilty on February 26. He was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Marilyn Hall Patel. Judge Patel also ordered Sagote to pay $79,765 in restitution to the credit union.

Co-defendant Elisara Taito was sentenced in March to 78 months in prison and five years of supervised release. Co-defendant Angelica Sagote is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Patel on July 6.

Sefo Sagote, Angelica Sagote, and Taito were indicted by a federal grand jury on August 26, 2008, for attempted armed bank robbery, armed bank robbery and conspiracy. According to their plea agreements, the trio conspired to rob the Pacific Postal Credit Union, a federally insured credit union located at 175 Mendell Street in San Francisco.

On August 4, 2008, Sefo Sagote attempted to rob the credit union while carrying a black BB-gun that was a replica of a gun but tellers at the credit union dove behind a safety “bandit barrier” and the robbery was unsuccessful.

On August 6, 2008, Angelica Sagote drove Sefo Sagote and Taito to the credit union just before it opened for the day. Sefo Sagote and Taito got out of the vehicle and pointed black BB-guns that were replicas of large caliber guns at one of the tellers to force her to open the credit union’s door. Once inside, Sefo Sagote and Taito threatened to shoot the tellers, causing one teller to open the vault. The robbers then took cash out of the vault and fled the credit union in a vehicle driven by Angelica Sagote.

According to the plea agreements, the loss to the credit union from the August 6 robbery was $76,300. Of which, $36,282 was recovered by San Francisco Police Officers when the defendants were arrested that same day.

The maximum statutory penalty for attempted armed bank robbery and armed bank robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(d) is 25 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 and five years of supervised release. The maximum statutory penalty for conspiracy in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 is five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 and three years of supervised release.

The conviction follows an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the San Francisco Police Department.

Nat Cousins is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Rosario Calderon and Elizabeth Garcia.

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For more information on federal criminal defense law, contact the Law Offices of Joseph Shemaria of Los Angeles, California.