ST PAUL, Minnesota — A fourth person was sentenced to nearly three years in federal prison for their role in stealing tens of thousands of dollars during a “inside job” armed robbery of a Hopkins grocery store in February.
Katrice Sanders, 32, was sentenced to 34 months in prison for assisting in the escape from an armed robbery at U.S. Grocery & Tobacco on February 15, 2024. Sanders pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery, a federal law that prohibits robbery or extortion that affects interstate or foreign policy “in any way or degree.”
Darius Elam, 30, Ryan Elam, 30, and Kynesha Jones, 34, were also involved in the robbery, which officials say cost the store approximately $45,000.
According to the criminal complaint, Jones worked at the store and provided insider information about the layout and where to find the money. According to court documents, Darius and Ryan Elam entered the store shortly before 10 p.m. armed with guns, following more than two weeks of preparation.
They bound three employees with duct tape and demanded the code to open the safe. The criminal complaint states that they also pistol-whipped the manager.
Darius Elam was previously sentenced to 112 months in prison, and Ryan Elam was sentenced to 109 months. Jones got a 32-month sentence.