Man accused of robbing Payson casino gets 5 years in prison
A man accused of robbing a Payson casino with another employee has been sentenced to five years in federal prison.
Prosecutors say 32-year-old Ryan Pearson of Payson had previously pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The FBI says two suspects dressed in black and wearing hoods and masks entered the Mazatzal Casino on the Tonto Apache reservation on July 17, 2018, and demanded employees open a vault.
When they didn’t receive immediate compliance, witnesses say Ochoa and Pearson each fired a round from their weapons.
Nobody was injured, but authorities say the robbers fled the casino with an undisclosed amount of money.
Pearson and the other suspect both were arrested less than a month after the robbery.
