An Ellicott City man was sentenced to more than nine years in prison Friday for his role in the armed robbery of a Clarksville Pizza Hut in November 2008.

Jose Fidel De Paz-Lopez, 34, was sentenced to 114 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

According to De Paz-Lopez’ plea agreement, he conspired with Hugo Perez-Sanchez, 31, Adan Perez Ramos, 31, Tulio Enrique Sandoval-Canas, 20, and Pablo Perez-Ramos, 31, all of Ellicott City, to rob the Pizza Hut in Clarksville. Perez-
Sanchez had worked at the restaurant from September 2006 to April 2007 and told his co-conspirators about the lack of surveillance cameras, according to Rosenstein.

On Nov. 30, Perez-Sanchez drove the co-conspirators to the Pizza Hut and remained in the car to avoid being recognized, Rosenstein said. De Paz-Lopez armed himself with .22-caliber Ruger Mark II pistol and his co-defendants armed themselves with a Marlin Firearms Company Model 336 rifle and a Daisy Air Rifle.

The armed men entered the restaurant with their weapons, took cash and gift cards, and forced the employees into a freezer before leaving, according to Rosenstein.

The defendants were stopped a few miles away and officers recovered the weapons, $543 in stolen money and a box of stolen gift cards, Rosenstein said.

All the co-defendants lived at the same residence in Ellicott City and are citizens of El Salvador or Guatemala who entered the country illegally, according to Rosenstein.

All of the defendants pleaded guilty to their role in the robbery. Perez-Sanchez and Perez-Ramos were each sentenced to 114 months in prison. Sandoval-Canas and Perez-Ramos are scheduled to be sentenced in December.

All five are expected to be deported from the U.S. after they are released from prison, according to Rosenstein.

— Mike Santa Rita

This article has been updated.

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user comments (5)

user please says...

please.

Posted 9:30 PM, 11.16.09 | Permalink

user concernedcitizen27 says...

Its funny how armed robberies are commonplace in Old Columbia. And the suspects, in the rare instances they're caught, usually get less than one year in jail or probation. Long Reach experienced a robbery/shooting by a 17 year old with 3 prior juvenille arrests, but Howard County returned him to juvenille court for "treatment." The prime suspect in the Halloween shooting in Columbia has 3 felony convictions, including armed robbery and a weapons charge, but never served more than one year in jail. When proud, hard-working residents of Old Columbia (Wilde Lake, Long Reach, Oakland Mills) cry out for justice and safter neighborhoods, they are branded as bigots and whinners. But no no no, in wealthy River Hill, the world stops when there is a crime. Holding up the Pizza Hut River Hill will get you federal time. I guess justice depends on which side of Rt 108 you live.

Posted 9:20 AM, 11.17.09 | Permalink

user citizentaxpayerjane says...

Deportations are a waste of time and money while the borders are wide open. If they want to come back, they'll just come back.

Posted 11:22 AM, 11.17.09 | Permalink

user belovedcartoonmouse says...

All are citizens of El Salvador or Guatemala? Does that mean some are from one and the rest are from the other? Or does that mean that we have no idea where they are originally from? If they wanted some free gift cards, why didn't they just ask Shiela Dixon? She has plenty of them.

Posted 2:59 PM, 11.17.09 | Permalink

user beatendowntaxpayer says...

Dear headline writer , River Hill is not in Ellicott City.

Posted 9:13 PM, 11.18.09 | Permalink