Men convicted of Chino Hills bank robbery sentenced to prison
Three Compton men were sentenced to state prison this morning after a jury found them guilty of robbing a Chino Hills bank in July 2007.
Sepheren Scorza, 22, and twin brothers Tylin and Tiawan Merriweather, who both turn 21 tomorrow, were found guilty last month in West Valley Superior Court of multiple felony counts, including three counts of robbery.
Prosecutors said the men, with the help of accomplice Terry Lee McAdams, took about $110,000 from a Citibank branch at 14808 Pipeline Ave. on July 3, 2007.
They were apprehended in Orange County as they tried to make a getaway.
This morning, Judge Raymond L. Haight III sentenced Tylin Merriweather to 7 years, 4 months in prison. He sentenced Tiawan Merriweather to 6 years, 8 months in prison.
Scorza, who had a prior strike conviction, was sentenced by the judge to 20 years, 8 months in prison.
McAdams, 22, took a plea deal from prosecutors in February as the case was set to go to trial, and was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
Before the men were sentenced today, a bank manager addressed the court and urged the judge to give the men the maximum sentences allowed by the law.
The men "have caused my staff and I some major emotional trauma and stress," said Peggy Salamun, a manager at the Citibank branch, who cried during her remarks.
More stellar citizens to sit on their butts in prison at the tax payer’s expense in a state that is broke, has a bulging prison population because the prisons here are not a deterrent but only an inconvenience. That is why the return rate is so high of repeat offenders. They don’t mind coming back for 3 hots and a cot. When you estimate the math of the cost to place these individuals in prison @ $70,000 per individual per year. That equals an estimate of around $3,360,000 to feed and house these convicted felons should they stay their entire sentence. Now I ask, what is wrong with this picture? The cure should be that prison life needs to be so uncomfortable, so miserable, that these convicts NEVER want or mind returning should they elect to continue their life of crime…as most do.
The solders in Iraq and Afghanistan live in worse conditions than the prisoners in California and they, our troops, have done no crime. Our system is broken.
these fools got what they were looking for. a jury of 12 that were to @$%& to get out of jury duty were unable to recognize a large caliber gun in a clear photo and the fact that all four were documented Compton gang members. the sentences should have been much greater. i hope those poor simple souls that sat on that jury are never the victim of a crime of this type, or anyone of their friends or family. this same type of mentality is why prison is so comfortable for criminals. bleeding heart liberals think they can rehabilitate these poor young men. they live this life because they want to. they sat in court with smug looks at the prosecuting attorney and investigator. they tried to look humble and innocent to the jury. and the jurors bought it. i pity those 12 people. again, i hope they never have a gun pointed at them and their property taken. but then again, they might wake up and smell the rotten!!!