Cloquet resident Clarence Manuel Lozoya Jr., 18, pleaded guilty and was sentenced Monday in Carlton County Court for felony first-degree aggravated robbery.
The robbery took place Feb. 24 after an individual working with Cloquet police and Carlton County Sheriff's officers received a call from Lozoya, who said he wanted to buy about 2 ounces of high-grade marijuana for $700.
Detectives were situated so they could observe the interaction and watched as a white car arrived at the location. Lozoya reportedly got out of the car with Reynaldo Hain Jr., 18, while the driver, Cody David Golen, 20, and passenger Eric Stephen Woollett, 20, stayed inside the vehicle.
After Lozoya asked the informant about another Cloquet man arrested recently during a drug transaction, he asked where the marijuana was located. When the informant produced the drug and handed it to Hain, the
two men began to assault the informant, court documents said.
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Observing officers moved in to make arrests but Lozoya and Hain were able to quickly run back to the vehicle, and the four men left the scene. After a short chase, the car was stopped by another officer assisting in the operation and all were arrested and taken to the Carlton County Jail.
Hain later admitted to detectives that all four of the men knew they were going to rob the man and that all were planning to split the marijuana.
Carlton County Attorney Thom Pertler said he believed Lozoya was "the main player" in the case.
Judge Robert Macaulay sentenced Lozoya on Monday to four years plus a $500 fine. However, three years of that sentence were stayed, with one year to be served at the Northeast Regional Corrections Center. Lozoya will be on supervised probation for the other three years of his sentence.
Hain Jr. was sentenced July 1 for felony first-degree aggravated robbery. Hain was sentenced to four years at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-St. Cloud, which was stayed, with one year of local confinement. He was given credit for 128 days already served. He will serve the rest of his local sentence at the Carlton County Jail or at NERCC. Hain was placed on probation for five years.
Golen and Woollett have not yet been sentenced for their roles in the robbery.
Publisher Wendy Johnson contributed to this story.
