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Man who had nephew assist in Albuquerque robberies sentenced to federal prison
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An Albuquerque man who repeatedly robbed Ross Dress for Less clothing stores — using his 12-year-old nephew as an accomplice — was sentenced to two decades in prison.
U.S. District Judge William P. Johnson sentenced Jason Roper, 46, to 20 years in federal prison after a jury found him guilty of three counts of robbery in November. Roper will serve three years of supervised release afterward.
Richelle Anderson, Roper’s attorney, said her client “maintains his innocence” in the case and plans to appeal the guilty verdict.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico, in a news release Thursday, said the employees who were robbed during the incidents, mostly teenagers, “testified to the fear and emotional distress they continue to suffer, with some forced to leave their jobs and withdraw from school due to the psychological impact.”
Albuquerque police arrested Roper and his nephew Jeriah Salas, a seventh grader at the time, within months of five robberies of Ross stores and other businesses, with Roper robbing the first three and Salas allegedly robbing two more.
Prior to his arrest, Roper had already spent the better part of 20 years behind bars, and Salas’ mother told authorities he was a bad influence on her son.
In a deal offered by prosecutors, Salas pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit armed robbery in the case and was put on probation.
Salas, now 15, has found himself in more trouble.
The teen was arrested in January after he and a friend tried to carjack a couple at gunpoint, leading to a shootout that left Salas’ 14-year-old friend dead and a woman injured, according to police.
Salas is in custody at the juvenile detention center.
