A 38-year-old Snyder Township man is looking at up to 17 years in prison as a result of a guilty plea and his sentencing in Blair County Court yesterday.
A press release from Assistant DA Terrence Tomassetti said Robert E. Miller committed thefts and robberies at various locations in Blair County. Many of the crimes happened during a three-day period in November of last year.
Miller was charged in crimes that happened at Uni-Mart, Kwik Fill, Choice Store in Tyrone and Shauf’s Auto Sales in Antis Township. He was also charged in crimes at the Sunoco, Uni-Mart and a Sheetz Store in Altoona along with a Kwik Fill in Allegheny Township.
The three robberies in Tyrone happened on October 28 at the Choice Store on 10th Street, at the Uni-Mart on Adams Avenue on Nov. 11 and at the Kwik Fill on Washington Avenue on Nov. 12.
State police also filed charges against Miller stemming from the theft of an vehicle from Shauf’s Used Car Sales on old Route 220, just south of State Route 865 in Antis Township. The van was taken sometime between 8 p.m. on Nov. 12 and 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 13.
Authorities alleged that Miller used the vehicle in the commission of some of the robberies and was driving it when police pursued him. He eventually crashed it and Altoona police pursued Miller on foot before he was captured in the early afternoon hours of Nov. 13. Miller was arrested and taken to Blair County Prison.
Assistant DA Tomassetti credited the Tyrone Police Department, Altoona Police, Allegheny Township Police and the Pennsylvania State Police in their teamwork in solving the crimes.
Miller’s sentence calls for eight-and-a-half years to 17 years in prison.
“This sentence will require the defendant to spend a significant portion of his adult life in state prison and will keep the victims from having to relive these experiences in court,” said Tomassetti.
He also noted the sentence shows that police departments can work together to solve crimes quickly.
