South Valley men sentenced to nearly 40 combined years in prison for robbery spree

Two South Valley men were sentenced Monday for a series of armed robberies in Tulare and Kern counties that took place over a span eight months in 2016 and 2017.

Javier Beltran, 25, of Strathmore received 23 years in prison for his conviction on two counts of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Ulises Medina, 25, of Earlimart received 15 years in prison for his conviction for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, according to a news release from the Office of the United States Attorney Eastern District of California.

“Today’s sentences are the result of our commitment to work with our federal, state and local partners to identify and prosecute cases that will help to reduce violent crime in our communities,” U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott said in the release.

Beltran and Medina were part of a crew that committed a spree of at least 10 armed robberies at gas station and liquor and convenience stores, starting in May 2016. In at least one, they ordered customers to the ground at gunpoint and zip-tied a store employees before stealing approximately $2,000 in cash, $4,000 in checks, bottles of whiskey and cartons of cigarettes.

“The resolution of this case is a direct and powerful example of why this relationship with our federal partners is important,” Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward said in the news release.

Under current California law, the defendants would have been eligible for youthful offender parole in California. The federal sentencing means Beltran and Median will serve more jail time, Ward said.