A man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for committing multiple armed robberies at GameStop locations in Southern California. The US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California announced the sentencing of Frederick Lopez Jr. today.
Lopez is accused of stealing more than $132,000 worth of cash and merchandise during robberies that took place between August 2018 and October 2018 the Los Angeles and Orange counties.
“Lopez entered the stores at night, sometimes accompanied by another suspect, pulled a handgun from his waistband and used it to threaten store employees. Lopez then would order GameStop employees to load game consoles and video games into store bags,” the release states.
The report goes on to detail the extent of the crimes:
“During the West Covina robbery on October 24, 2018, Lopez and his co-conspirator ordered the GameStop store clerks into the store’s back room, demanded their cell phones and destroyed the store’s telephone. Lopez then ordered one of the store’s clerks to help carry stolen items out to a nearby minivan. Lopez used a .40-caliber handgun during this robbery.”
Prosecutors said armed robberies are particularly heinous because they leave “substantial stress and trauma” for the victims. Lopez has been ordered to pay $132,300 in restitution, in addition to his prison term.
In other news about GameStop, the retailer is currently struggling. The company is trading at around $4.28 per share, which is close to an all-time low for the retailer. Management believes the launch of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will help turn things around.
