Man Pleads Guilty To 5 Armed Robberies; 20-Year Sentence Expected

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 23-year-old Minneapolis man is expected to receive a 20-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to five aggravated robberies – half the total he is suspected of committing, the Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced Monday.

At his plea hearing, Robert Abraham Lee admitted to robbing three gas stations, a CVS and a Walgreens from Dec. 29, 2013 through Sept. 8, 2014. As part of his guilty plea agreement, Lee will be sentenced to 4 years in prison for each of the five counts.

After the plea, Freeman said it was a good outcome to a "perplexing" case.

"Mr. Lee had no criminal history and then suddenly started terrorizing clerks with a gun as he robbed numerous pharmacies and gas stations. We worked hard to come up with an agreement that would make sure he will be off the streets for a very long time," Freeman said.

Lee is the suspect in around 10 robberies in the Twin Cities area. Lee has one Ramsey County warrant out for him for a robbery there, and he acknowledged in court that there is no agreement for what might happen to him in any other country.

Lee will be sentenced on Jan. 23, 2014, which is the day after his 24th birthday.