Man pleads guilty to robberies
Salas had been accused of 47 counts, pleads to seven
A man accused of 47 robberies in 2016 and 2017 pleaded guilty in state court Friday morning.
Paul Salas, 47, pleaded guilty to seven counts of armed robbery before 2nd Judicial District Judge Cindy Leos and will serve 20 years in prison, followed by a period of supervised release, according to his plea agreement. If he violates the conditions of his probation, he could face up to 24 additional years, according to court documents.
As a condition of his plea agreement, he will be transferred to the custody of federal authorities, where he is still facing charges.
A grand jury indicted Salas on 231 crimes that include armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, felon in possession of a firearm and kidnapping charges in connection to his crime spree.
Salas was arrested in March 2017 after he allegedly robbed a Verizon store near the 8000 block of Academy NE and stole cellphones.
Undercover detectives were able to find Salas using a tracking device that had been placed in the merchandise that was stolen, according to a criminal complaint.
After his arrest, Salas reportedly confessed to numerous robberies at fast food restaurants, cellphone and automotive businesses over the span of several months, according to the complaint.
Salas said little during his appearance in court Friday morning, replying with a “yes, ma’am” as Leos asked him questions about whether he understood the ramifications of his guilty plea.
Salas has a hearing in federal court in June. Federal authorities have charged him with interfering with interstate commerce, using a firearm during a crime of violence and failing to register as a sex offender.
“The Salas case was one of the initial joint state and federal law enforcement prosecutorial partnerships. This case is an example of how state and federal agencies working together can keep criminals who use guns to commit crimes off the streets of our community,” Michael Patrick, a spokesman for the District Attorney’s Office, said in a statement.