One of two suspects arrested in connection with the back-to-back robberies of two convenience stores earlier this year was sentenced to 15 years in prison Monday after pleading guilty to charges in Garland County Circuit Court.
Joseph Aaron Sorter, 26, of Hot Springs, who has remained in custody in lieu of $100,000 since his arrest March 12, pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated robbery and was sentenced to 15 years on each count, to run concurrent, while court costs and fees were expunged for time served.
His alleged accomplice, Matthew Ian Lewis, 23, of Malvern, who was arrested March 13 and faces the same charges, was still being held Tuesday on $100,000 bond and is set for a hearing in circuit court Aug. 12.
According to the affidavits, on Feb. 27, shortly after 4:30 p.m., Hot Springs police responded to the Mapco store, 4139 Central Ave., to a robbery that had just occurred and spoke to the male clerk who stated a white male, later identified as Sorter, brandished a knife and demanded the money from the register.
Sorter stole an undisclosed amount of cash, less than $100, and $9.12 worth of merchandise and fled the store with a second white male suspect, later reportedly identified as Lewis, who was acting as a lookout.
Video surveillance cameras captured the incident showing Sorter and the other suspect entering the store together. They milled around for a few minutes and then Sorter pulled his hood over his head and approached the counter with a few items while the other suspect went outside to keep watch.
As the clerk rang up the items, a milk distribution truck pulled into the lot and the suspect outside came in to tell Sorter, the affidavit states. The clerk asked Sorter if that would be it and then Sorter stated, "You need to give me all of the money."
When the clerk told him he couldn't do that, Sorter reportedly pulled a knife from his coat pocket and repeated, "Give me the money." The clerk complied and Sorter and the other suspect fled the store.
The second robbery occurred approximately 28 minutes later at the EZ Mart, 4600 Central Ave., where Garland County sheriff's deputies responded and spoke to the male clerk who stated a white male, later identified as Sorter, brandished a knife and demanded money from the register and the safe.
Sorter took an undisclosed amount of cash, also less than $100, and $1.19 in merchandise, and fled the store with a second male suspect, later identified as Lewis, who had acted as a lookout during the robbery.
Sheriff's investigators soon learned the police were working a similar robbery involving the same suspects that had occurred a short time earlier.
Video surveillance cameras captured the incident at EZ Mart, showing the two suspects entering the store together. They milled around for a few minutes and then Sorter approached the counter while Lewis stood by the door.
When the clerk asked Sorter if he wanted anything else, Sorter said, "All the money in the register and safe" and then pulled a knife and threatened to "cut up" the clerk. The victim complied and the two suspects fled the store.
HSPD detective S. Lampinen sent sheriff's investigators a still photo from the video at Mapco. He also sent a still shot to The Sentinel-Record, which published the photo on March 4. Two days later, an anonymous caller told Lampinen the suspect with the knife was Sorter and Lampinen notified sheriff's investigators.
Further investigation revealed that Sorter was arrested at 11:45 p.m. on the day of the robbery by HSPD Officer May for loitering at another business.
On March 10, HSPD Detective S. Lampinen reviewed the dash cam video from May's unit of Sorter's arrest and positively identified Sorter as the one from the robbery. He also identified Lewis, who was with Sorter at the time of his arrest by May.
Sheriff's investigators examined the dash cam video and confirmed it was the same suspects from the EZ Mart.
Local on 07/23/2014