Man sentenced for role in downtown Minneapolis phone theft ring
Aaron Tracey Johnson (Hennepin County Jail)
A St. Paul man charged with one count of racketeering will spend multiple years behind bars for his role in a phone theft ring that operated in downtown Minneapolis.
Court records show 26-year-old Aaron Tracey Johnson entered a guilty plea last week to the charge and was sentenced Tuesday to serve 94 months (nearly eight years) in the St. Cloud prison. In addition, he will get 173 days of credit for time previously served.
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According to the court register, this sentence is being served concurrently with another, which stemmed from a case that charged Johnson with providing a false name to police.
As previously reported by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS, Johnson was one of 12 people charged with roles in the ring.
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In addition to stealing phones, prosecutors say the 12 suspects also moved money from the victims’ phones to people associated with the theft ring. The document also states the stolen phones were sold locally and outside of the United States. Overall, the thefts are said to have cost a total of more than $300,000.
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Johnson is the second person to be sentenced in the scheme. In December, Alfonze Stuckey was sentenced to just shy of five years in prison for his role.
Meanwhile, Antonio Green is scheduled to have a sentencing hearing in May.
The racketeering charge carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of three times the gross value gained during the operation, as well as other costs.
David Mullins, who previously was wanted, now has an omnibus hearing scheduled for March 30.
Heiron Birts has a hearing scheduled for April 3, Charlie Pryor Jr. has a jury trial scheduled to begin in September and Su, the alleged ringleader, has a hearing scheduled for April 17 and a jury trial in June.
Five others are still wanted: Lawrence Miles, Emarion White, Sherrod Lamar, Sharlotte green and Charlie Pryor.