A 39-year-old Tucson woman has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for her role in an armed drug ripoff last year.
U.S. District Judge Frank Zapata on Monday sentenced Sonya Romero to eight years for conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute and seven years for possession and use of a firearm during a drug offense, according to court records.
Romero, 19-year-old Patrick Coleman and 18-year-old Joseph Onitveros were arrested March 4, 2009 after attempting to carjack a man in a minivan in the parking lot of the Wal-Mart at West Valencia and South Midvale Park roads, court records show. The minivan had more than 350 pounds of marijuana in it, according to court records.
Romero was used as a decoy to distract the vehicle's driver while Coleman and Ontiveros, who at the time was 17 years old, approached from the other direction and pointed weapons at the driver, court records show.
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All three were apprehended by Drug Enforcement Administration agents, who had been watching the parking lot because of its reputation as a known drug drop location, court records show.
Coleman and Romero were indicted in April on nine federal drug, weapon and carjacking charges, while Ontiveros was indicted separately on eight federal drug, weapon and carjacking charges.
Coleman pleaded guilty in July to the same counts as Romero and was sentenced in November to 15 years in federal prison. Ontiveros pleaded guilty to two counts in September and was sentenced in December to 15 years.
