Defendant sentenced
in Maverik robbery
By James Tilson
Staff writer
Feb. 1, 2018
MANTI—The crimes? Robbery, thefts, arson and burglary.
The sentence for now? Probation, jail time, a fine, drug rehab and a mental health evaluation.
Telling the defendant, “If you commit one more crime in the next three years, you could do 15 years” in prison, Judge Marvin Bagley sentenced Luis David Cuevas, 18, to three years of probation and 210 days in jail for his part in the Maverik robbery and automobile-theft crime spree in Mt. Pleasant and Utah County on Oct. 9, 2017.
Cuevas appeared in Manti District Court on Wednesday, Jan. 24, for sentencing.
On Nov. 1, 2017, he had pled guilty to one count of second-degree felony robbery, two counts of second-degree felony theft, one count of third-degree felony arson, and one count of a class A misdemeanor burglary.
Cuevas was one of three co-defendants, one of whom was a juvenile and the other was Jesus Emmanuel Carrasco.
Cuevas’ crime spree began in Ephraim the night of Oct. 9, 2017.
Ephraim police received a number of reports of thefts from vehicles and the outright theft of a 2011 white Kia Optima.
Cuevas and two others, who had stolen the vehicle, drove in the vehicle to Mt. Pleasant and robbed the Maverik convenience store at gunpoint.
The three men then drove away from the Maverik, burned another vehicle nearby in Mt. Pleasant and drove the Optima to Springville in Utah County where they were apprehended.
Cuevas’ attorney, David Angerhofer and the newly appointed Interim Sanpete County Attorney Kevin Daniels agreed that they would stand by the recommendation in the presentence investigation of 36 months of probation with 210 days in jail, giving Cuevas credit for 50 days in jail already served.
Bagley told Cuevas his sentence was “pretty light actually. You’re a lucky guy. You could be going to prison. [You] committed one crime after another.”
Bagley had Cuevas admit that he was on drugs at the time of the offense and then told Cuevas, “If you want to have your freedom, you have to stay off drugs” while you are on probation.
Bagley told Cuevas his sentence: 1-15 years in prison for the robbery count, 1-15 years in prison for the theft counts, 0-5 years for the arson count and one year in jail for the burglary count, all of which would be suspended while he was on probation.
Bagley also sentenced Cuevas to the maximum fine possible on each count and suspended all but $950 total.
The judge ordered Cuevas to take part in the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) drug rehabilitation program and to take a mental health evaluation.
Cuevas’ co-defendant, Carrasco, also appeared in Manti District Court the same day for a waiver of preliminary hearing.
However, his attorney, Kevin Vander Werff, informed the court that disclosure of all the State’s evidence had not been completed and asked for another date for the hearing.
Bagley ordered the waiver of preliminary hearing rescheduled to March 3.
