Tampa, FL – A 28-year-old man has been sentenced to 32 years in federal prison for brandishing a firearm during two different armed robberies in Brandon, Florida. Yener Vahit Belli was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington on Tuesday.
Belli, along with co-defendant Kara Denise Guggino, committed a series of armed robberies of convenience stores in October 2010. The duo’s crimes included an armed robbery of a Chevron gas station and convenience store, where Belli brandished a Tec-9 semi-automatic firearm and stole $580 in cash and a pack of cigarettes.
The second armed robbery took place at a 7-11 store, where Belli displayed a Tec-9 semi-automatic firearm, demanded cash, cigarettes, and lottery tickets, and ordered customers to lay on the floor. He stole $72 in cash and 61 lottery tickets.
Belli was arrested on October 22, 2010, along with Guggino, and a Tec-9, 9mm semi-automatic firearm was recovered in the car they were driving. Guggino pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Bini, Colleen Murphy-Davis, and Jay L. Hoffer prosecuted the case.
Belli will also serve a five-year term of supervised release following his incarceration and must pay restitution to several of his victims. His guilty plea was entered on October 4, 2012.
The sentence is a result of Belli’s involvement in multiple crimes that put innocent lives at risk. The community can rest easier knowing that justice has been served.
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