A 29-year-old Tucson man who attempted to rob the Desert Diamond Casino last year was sentenced to 12 1/2 years in prison Monday, officials said Tuesday.
Alex Jackson, a member of the Gila River Indian Tribe, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and use of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence in September, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in the district of Arizona.
The plea stems from an Aug. 5, 2005, incident in which Jackson — a former casino employee — entered Desert Diamond at about 5:30 a.m. and walked over to a cashier's cage, where he fired one round from a 12-gauge shotgun into the ceiling, the release said.
Jackson demanded money and thrust a bag through the window of the cage, but the employees, who fell to the ground after the shot was fired, refused to follow his orders, according to the news release.
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He left the casino empty-handed and was found a short time later, the release said. One of the employees in the cage was slightly wounded by the buckshot.
U.S. District Judge David Bury sentenced Jackson to 120 months for the firearm charge and to a consecutive term of 30 months for the attempted robbery.
