A Maricopa County Superior Court judge sentenced one of the three men involved in last fall’s string of armed fast food robberies to four years in prison Wednesday morning.
Vincent Nitura, 21, pled guilty to three counts of armed robbery on Sept. 21. Nitura, along with 20-year-old Chris Kimball and 41-year-old Tony Tucker, were arrested in January in connection with the series of seven robberies.
The robberies took place at various Subway and McDonald’s locations in Tempe and Phoenix between Sept. 15 and Nov. 7, 2011.
Tucker is believed to have led and participated in each incident, while Kimball took part in three and Nitura only worked one, an Oct. 7 robbery at a Subway on Broadway Road and Hardy Drive.
Prosecuting attorney Ryan Green said during the sentencing that Nitura, who had no prior convictions, was an unusual case.
“Armed robbery is not usually a starter crime, but it was for him,” Green said.
He said there was no question that Nitura had a smaller role in the incident than Tucker or Kimball, but he was still an active participant.
Green said security video from the incident showed Nitura climbing behind the restaurant’s counter during the robbery.
Each incident happened near the time the restaurants opened or closed. While holding guns, one or more of the men would escort employees to the back of the store and demand cash.
Green said Nitura appeared at medium to high risk of becoming a repeat offender after his release from prison.
Nitura said during the sentencing that he has learned from the mistake he made. He has remained in jail since his January arrest.
“Being in jail for this long has made me realize what I did was wrong,” he said.
Defense attorney Robert Billar said during the sentencing that Nitura’s young age and the support of his family, most of whom were present in the courtroom, would help him refrain from committing future crimes.
“He’s had a taste of incarceration already,” Billar said. “He will not be back here (on trial) again.”
Nitura’s girlfriend of four years, Amber Lozano, joined his family at the sentencing.
Lozano said Nitura deserved to spend less time in prison because he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“Everyone makes mistakes,” she said. “He’s a really good person, or else I wouldn’t be with him.”
In addition to the four years of prison time, Judge Karen O’Connor sentenced Nitura to paying more than $1,500 in restitution.
Kimball pleaded guilty to four counts of armed robbery Sept. 21, and his sentencing was scheduled for Wednesday. However, it was postponed for 60 days, until Dec. 19, because he may be used as a witness in Tucker’s trial.
Tucker is awaiting trial on multiple counts of armed robbery, kidnapping, aggravated assault and disorderly conduct, as well as individual charges of attempted sexual assault and attempted armed robbery.
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