brainsmile
05-29-2003, 10:58 AM
Philip Salcedo Jr., 23, confessed to stealing an armored truck and more than $400,000. Now he must pay for his crime.
Salcedo was sentenced Wednesday to 18 months in federal prison for robbing his former employer, an armored truck company, and for the financial distress he caused other companies as a result of the heist. He must also pay back about $86,000.
Under the law, the judge gave him a comparatively light sentence -- one the judge and Salcedo's family definitely did not like but for different reasons.
"I'm very disappointed with the sentence," said Salcedo's attorney, Manuel Armando Rios.
Rios said federal prison is too high a price for his client to pay for a something he regrets.
"He's a good, young man and he made a mistake. He's lived a very exemplary life. He's got good Christian morals. He's a kind, young man," Rios said.
But the exemplary life of the former altar boy took a bad turn last January when Salcedo stole nearly $400,000 in cash and checks from Loomis Fargo and Co., the armored truck company he drove for. He then spent a week partying in Mexico before getting caught.
"He's got a problem with impulse, acting on impulse. That's what happened," Rios said.
But Salcedo's wife told police her husband had talked about robbing a bank or the armored car.
Judge John Rhoades said, "This crime did involve planning. Salcedo waited 'til the end of the day and acted out his intentions."
He called Salcedo a "big time Charlie who partied with other people's money."
"He's a man and he's taking it. He could have had a week or two weeks to report and my client said, 'No, I'm ready to go,'" Rios said.
Salcedo apologized to Loomis Fargo and his family. He said he was remorseful, regretful and ashamed.
From the beginning his family supported him. At first they believed he was a victim of the robbery. Now that he has confessed, they are still standing by him but did not comment about the sentencing to the media.
"They're not going to back down from their son. They support him 100 percent," Rios said.
The Salcedo family put up their house for collateral. However, now that Salcedo is going to jail they are off the hook. His father has offered to repay a portion, up to $33,000 of his son's debt.
Salcedo was sentenced Wednesday to 18 months in federal prison for robbing his former employer, an armored truck company, and for the financial distress he caused other companies as a result of the heist. He must also pay back about $86,000.
Under the law, the judge gave him a comparatively light sentence -- one the judge and Salcedo's family definitely did not like but for different reasons.
"I'm very disappointed with the sentence," said Salcedo's attorney, Manuel Armando Rios.
Rios said federal prison is too high a price for his client to pay for a something he regrets.
"He's a good, young man and he made a mistake. He's lived a very exemplary life. He's got good Christian morals. He's a kind, young man," Rios said.
But the exemplary life of the former altar boy took a bad turn last January when Salcedo stole nearly $400,000 in cash and checks from Loomis Fargo and Co., the armored truck company he drove for. He then spent a week partying in Mexico before getting caught.
"He's got a problem with impulse, acting on impulse. That's what happened," Rios said.
But Salcedo's wife told police her husband had talked about robbing a bank or the armored car.
Judge John Rhoades said, "This crime did involve planning. Salcedo waited 'til the end of the day and acted out his intentions."
He called Salcedo a "big time Charlie who partied with other people's money."
"He's a man and he's taking it. He could have had a week or two weeks to report and my client said, 'No, I'm ready to go,'" Rios said.
Salcedo apologized to Loomis Fargo and his family. He said he was remorseful, regretful and ashamed.
From the beginning his family supported him. At first they believed he was a victim of the robbery. Now that he has confessed, they are still standing by him but did not comment about the sentencing to the media.
"They're not going to back down from their son. They support him 100 percent," Rios said.
The Salcedo family put up their house for collateral. However, now that Salcedo is going to jail they are off the hook. His father has offered to repay a portion, up to $33,000 of his son's debt.