San Francisco woman is convicted of robbery

She faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced

SAN FRANCISCO >> A 36-yearold San Francisco woman has been convicted of robbing a drugstore while claiming to have COVID-19, according to federal authorities.

Carmelita Barela faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when she is sentenced in August.

On April 6, 2020, Barela and another woman entered the Walgreens near the San Francisco Civic Center with empty bags and without wearing masks, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement Wednesday.

The manager offered assistance and the other woman began to cough without covering her mouth, which resulted in the manager asking her to leave the store if she was sick.

The woman instead walked over to Barela, and both women began to cough while taking merchandise off the shelves and placing it into their bags, according to the statement.

Federal authorities said the women told the manager “we have COVID” when they were asked to leave. Barela continued to cough and eventually left without paying for the merchandise.

On June 22, 2020, a federal grand jury indicted Barela on a charge of robbery affecting interstate commerce. She was convicted Wednesday following a two-day trial.

“The spread of COVID-19 has forced almost all of us to make sacrifices and to rely on each other to maintain our safety and good health,” said acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie Hinds in the statement.

“Unfortunately, some people have tried to use the crisis to intimidate essential workers and to commit crimes,” she continued. “This conviction demonstrates that those who seek to exploit the pandemic and commit crimes for their own personal gain will be held accountable.”

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer ordered Barela detained pending sentencing and scheduled a sentencing hearing for Aug. 4.