Man gets 25 years in failed robbery

Friday, April 28, 2000 | 12:19 p.m.

A 24-year-old man was sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court to nearly 25 years in a federal prison for the failed robbery of an armored car two years ago that led to gunfire at a Las Vegas casino parking garage.

William Froelich was sentenced following his conviction by a jury in January on charges of interfering with interstate commerce by robbery, conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery, and committing a crime while armed with a gun.

Froelich and three others hatched a plan to rob an armored car as it was leaving a Las Vegas credit union. The would-be robbers included the driver of the armored car, Sean Amrine, and Matt Willis, a former employee of the armored car company.

A woman, Gwyneth Cave, was also charged.

Prosecutors allege the foursome decided to stage a robbery on May 28, 1998, by appearing to force the driver out of the armored car at gunpoint. But the plan went awry when a citizen called police on a cellular phone and followed the armored car to the Palace Station parking garage.

A passing Metro Police corrections officer intercepted the group in the parking garage. Froelich fired five gun shots at the officer as he tried to run away. No one was injured and the foursome was quickly arrested. The armored car contained nearly $500,000 in cash.