Judge: Childhood doesn’t excuse man’s crimes

Kim Smith

Monday, March 13, 2000 | 10:52 a.m.

Henry Amarillas may still be young enough to commit crimes when he gets out of prison, but U.S. District Judge Philip Pro told the armed robber that he hopes he stays away from gangs and makes something of himself.

Pro sentenced Amarillas, 26, to 19 1/2 years in prison Friday for four robberies that took place between July 11 and July 22.

Amarillas pleaded guilty in December to six different counts in connection with the robberies of three bars on Tropicana Avenue and another on Eastern Avenue. The federal charges included four counts of armed robbery, using a firearm during the commission of a violent crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Amarillas got the maximum sentence possible, and Pro reminded him it was his own fault.

The U.S. Department of Probation and Parole recommends sentences based on such factors as criminal histories and the seriousness of the crime.

While sad that Amarillas lost his father at age 2 and was abandoned at 12, Pro noted that the man was no longer 12 when he robbed the Kopper Keg Bar, the Crown and Anchor, Finnegan's Pub and the Loose Caboose Bar.

"You invite the kind of sentence you were compelled to plead guilty to," Pro said. "You have put yourself in a situation where a judge has no choice but to sentence you to the maximum." However, Pro said, there is no reason that Amarillas can't use his time in prison constructively. He can get his general equivalency diploma, a college education or become skilled in any number of vocation programs offered in prison.

"You can do something with your life," Pro said.

If Amarillas had gone to trial and been convicted, Pro would have had no choice but to stack 75 years on top of whatever sentence the probation department had recommended because earlier felony convictions had stripped Amarillas of his right to bear arms.

Over the past 18 months, local and federal authorities have cooperated to move many cases involving felons arrested with firearms into the federal system because it affords harsher penalties.

According to court records, Amarillas robbed the Kopper Keg Bar of almost $7,500 on July 22. A witness provided police the license plate number of the sports utility vehicle Amarillas was driving, and police confronted him as he sat in the vehicle at his girlfriend's house.

Police said Amarillas pointed a weapon that looked like an Uzi at them, but it wouldn't fire and he was taken into custody.

When given a chance to speak, Amarillas said he was sorry and that he "wasn't going to make any excuses for what" he did. He said he was ready to get on with his life.

Pro told him "good luck."