UPDATE, August 2020: The United States Attorney's Office, District of Nevada, says a man was sentenced to over 26 years in prison for armed robbery of a restaurant, armed carjacking and felon in possession of a firearm.

Officials said 39-year-old Eric Romero-Lobato was sentenced to 26 years and seven months in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release for committing two separate violent crimes in 2018.

According to court documents:

On March 4, 2018, Romero-Lobato and another person tried to rob a restaurant in Sparks while customers were dining inside. They said during the attempted robbery, Romero-Lobato, who was armed with a gun, fire a shot into the ceiling. On November 19, 2019, he was found guilty of conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by robbery, attempted interference with commerce by robbery, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence and felon in possession of a firearm.

On March 14, 2018, after the attempted robbery, Romero-Lobato pointed a pistol at a victim's head during an armed carjacking in Reno and stole the victim's car, wallet and phone. Officials said he tried to flee from police and led them on a high speed chase before wrecking the stolen car. They said when police arrested Romero-Lobato, they recovered an automatic pistol, which forensics determined was the same gun used the robbery. In a separate trial on July 11, 2019, Romero-Lobato was found guilty of carjacking, use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and felon in possession of a firearm.

Romero-Lobato has a gross misdemeanor conviction for conspiracy to commit battery with a deadly weapon for stabbing a victim with a screwdriver, three felony convictions for unlawful reentry by a deported alien and one felony conviction for eluding. Officials said as a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

 

Original Story, November 2019: The Department of Justice says a man faces up to life in prison after he was convicted by a federal jury on robbery and gun-related charges. 

The U.S. Attorney's Office says Eric Romero-Lobato fired a gun while he tried to rob a Sparks restaurant with another man in March 2018. They say he was not caught until May 2018 when police responded to a report of an armed carjacking in Reno. After a pursuit, they say police also found a gun on him that was later determined to be the same gun used in the earlier restaurant robbery attempt.

Then in July 2019, a separate jury found Romero-Lobato guilty of one count of carjacking, one count of using a firearm during a crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a gun from the May 2018 carjacking incident.

Prosecutors say he must serve at least ten years in prison, but could get a term of life in prison when he's sentenced on March 21, 2020. 

Prosecutors say Romero-Lobato is currently awaiting a jury trial on a separate indictment that says Romero-Lobato illegally re-entered the U.S.

The Department is investigating this case.Â