Man Gets Life For Robbery Netting $1

Thu., Dec. 17, 1998

From Staff

A traveling carnival worker will spend the rest of his life in prison for robbing an Olympia man of $1.

Richard D. Montoya, 30, was convicted Tuesday of first-degree robbery for robbing the man at knifepoint Aug. 20. The conviction marked Montoya’s third strike under Washington’s “three strikes, you’re out” law.

Under the law passed by state voters in 1993, those convicted three times of certain violent crimes face an automatic life sentence.

Montoya, who will be formally sentenced within six weeks, robbed the man as he walked home from work. The man had only $1 in his wallet.

Defense attorney Paul Reed argued that the only evidence against Montoya was the victim’s description of him, which Reed said was incomplete.

Montoya had robbery convictions in Arizona and New Mexico.

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