Help from a Port St Lucie Robbery Attorney
Being charged with any type of criminal offense in Port St. Lucie, Florida can expose you to potentially serious consequences. If you have been charged with a crime, you should retain an experienced criminal defense lawyer at the Law Offices of Jonathan Jay Kirschner, Esq. as soon as possible. Our Port St Lucie criminal defense lawyers handle all types of criminal charges and can defend you in your case. Recently, a young man was arrested in Port St. Lucie for allegedly committing two strong-armed robberies.
Young Adult Faces Multiple Charges
A 19-year-old man was recently arrested and charged with two strong-armed robberies and other charges after he allegedly committed robberies of two different day spas in Port St. Lucie. According to the police, the young man went to a day spa on May 9th and initially asked about their services before leaving. He later returned and allegedly entered the employee breakroom while the employees were helping customers. While he was in the breakroom, he reportedly took from $700 to $1,000 from one of the employees’ purses. The employees attempted to stop him, but he got away.
Four days later, a man that matched the description of the man from the first incident went to another day spa in Port St. Lucie. The man asked about the services the day spa offered before leaving. After returning, he asked for a massage. During the middle of the service, he excused himself to go to the bathroom and instead entered the breakroom and stole a purse. The police allege that he engaged in a struggle with the employees before managing to escape with the purse.
The police reportedly investigated the two incidents for several days before placing the 19-year-old man under arrest. According to the officers, he confessed to the robberies during a custodial interrogation. The man is facing two charges of robbery and two charges of unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
The Man’s Criminal Charges
Strong-armed robbery is found in § 812.13, Fla. Stat. (2021). Under this statute, you can be charged with strong-armed robbery if you take someone else’s property and in the course of doing so, you use force, violence, or assault. You can also be charged if you cause someone else to feel fear while you take their property. Strong-armed robbery is a second-degree felony if no weapon was used. It is a first-degree felony if a firearm or another deadly weapon was used. In the man’s case, there is no information that a weapon was used, so he is likely facing a second-degree felony for each of the robbery counts. A second-degree felony in Florida carries the potential of up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. Since the man is facing two counts, this means he is facing up to 30 years in prison for the alleged robberies.
The man was also charged with two counts of illegal use of a two-way communication device. This crime is found in § 934.215, Fla. Stat. (2021). This charge is a third-degree felony with a potential prison sentence of up to five years and a fine of up to $5,000. Since the man was charged with two counts, this means he is facing an additional 10 years in prison for a total potential penalty of 40 years if he is convicted as charged and if the court runs his sentences consecutively.
Speak to an Experienced Port St Lucie Robbery Attorney
If you are facing criminal charges, you should contact Port St Lucie criminal defense lawyer Jonathan Jay Kirschner, Esq. to learn about your charges and how to defend against them. Attorney Kirschner has successfully defended people charged with all levels of crimes since 1984 and can help you identify the best defense strategies to use. Contact the law firm of Jonathan Jay Kirschner, Esq. & Associates to request a consultation by calling us at (772) 489-8501.
