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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Career Criminal Gets Life For Robbing Girl Scout

Compiled From Wire Services

A career criminal was sentenced to life in prison for robbing an 8-year-old Girl Scout selling cookies with her mother outside a supermarket.

“No case is a better example of the depths we, society, have sunk to,” Circuit Judge Bob Mitcham said during Tuesday’s sentencing.

Cleveland Johnson Jr., 29, was sentenced under Florida’s career criminal law, which mandates a sentence of 10 years to life for a fourth conviction on a violent offense. His prior convictions included burglary and theft.

Johnson and another man, John Pellicer, 20, pleaded guilty last month to robbing the Girl Scout of $68.50 she had made selling cookies outside the Publix Super Market in March. Pellicer was sentenced to eight years.

Johnson threatened the two with a pistol and fired at a witness who chased him. The pistol turned out to be a BB gun that resembles a .45-caliber handgun.