The final two North San Diego County gang members who were part of a crime ring that robbed Tustin Village Jewelers and Baca Jewelers of Laguna Beach in 2009 received their sentences today–and one was the largest handed out in the case: 90 years to life in state prison. Michael Burgin, 32, received that sentence after being found guilty by a jury in January of two felony counts each of second degree robbery,
second degree commercial burglary, and street terrorism.
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The jury also found true sentencing enhancements for criminal street gang activity, the vicarious use of a firearm by a gang member, and two prior strike convictions for first degree burglaries in 1999 and 2002.
Burgin's 31-year-old co-hort, Adam
Weick, was convicted in January on one felony count each of second degree robbery, second
degree commercial burglary, and street terrorism, with sentencing
enhancements for criminal street gang activity, the vicarious use of a
firearm by a gang member, and a prior strike for kidnapping in 2005. He was sentenced today to 21 years in state prison.
However, some defendants received their sentences after that item was posted, including:
- Aida Arroyo, 30, who pleaded guilty at the same January trial to one
felony count each of second degree robbery, second degree commercial
burglary, and street terrorism, with sentencing enhancements for
criminal street gang activity and the vicarious use of a firearm by a
gang member. She was sentenced last month to 12 years in state
prison.
- Pedro Avina Hernandez, 32, in January was sentenced to six years in state prison after the jury found him guilty of
one felony count each of second degree robbery, second degree commercial
burglary, and street terrorism, with sentencing enhancements for
criminal street gang activity and the vicarious use of a firearm by a
gang member.
- Veronica Kyriakides, 43, in a separate but related case pleaded guilty to one felony count of receiving stolen property for the
benefit of the gang and was sentenced to six months in jail, which she has already served.
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OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.