Second Teen Sentenced For Rochester Armed Robbery

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester teenager has been ordered to serve a jail sentence for his involvement in an armed robbery in December.

Teen Sentenced for Role in Armed Robbery

Nineteen-year-old Nicklas Jordan Cheng was sentenced this week to six months in jail and five years on probation. He was also given a stayed 57-month prison sentence that could be imposed if he fails to complete his probation.

Cheng pleaded guilty in February to a charge of aiding and abetting first-degree aggravated robbery. His admission was part of a plea agreement that resulted in the dismissal of two other felony robbery charges.

Search Warrants Led to Charges in Rochester Case

According to court records, Cheng and 18-year-old

Martinez were charged in December after a SWAT team, Rochester police, and Plainview police executed a pair of high-profile search warrants in Plainview and Rochester.

The searches were connected to an investigation into a robbery reported in Rochester in early December. The criminal complaints against Cheng and Martinez say three young males told investigators they had arranged to meet the two men to sell them clothing.

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Victims Said Clothing Sale Turned Into Robbery

The victims told police they arrived at a meeting location in the 2600 block of 4th Avenue Northeast in a vehicle, while Martinez and Cheng arrived on foot. The suspects were accused of pulling guns on the victims and demanding that they turn over the clothing for free. It is also alleged that Martinez and Cheng demanded the victims' cell phones and shoes so they could not flee or call police.

Allegedly Threatened Violence

According to the charges, Martinez also allegedly threatened to kill the victims if they contacted law enforcement. The value of the stolen items was estimated at more than $5,000.

The criminal complaints say the search of Martinez's home in Plainview led to the seizure of a .22-caliber pistol and clothing that matched the description of the items stolen during the robbery.

Co-Defendant Received More Than Six Years in Prison

Martinez also entered into a plea agreement in February and admitted to two counts of first-degree aggravated robbery. He was sentenced to 78 months in prison.