A 25-year-old Rochester man was sentenced in Genesee County Court today to three to six years in state prison for robbing the Bank of America branch in Batavia in July.
That was the max sentence available to Judge Charles Zambito under a plea agreement for Steven R. Vega. Without the plea agreement, Vega could have been sentenced to three-and-a-half to seven years.
The 25-year-old Vega was a bit tongue-tied when given a chance to speak before he was sentenced, admitting he had made a lot of mistakes in his young life.
"I recognize my mistakes," Vega said. "I accept what happens in my life is what happens. I don't know what else to say. I accept full responsibility."
Vega entered a guilty plea in County Court to robbery in the third degree on Dec. 13.
Vega is already serving a two- to four-year term on another charge and is facing additional prison time for charges in Monroe County.
"He is still a very young man at 25 years old," said his public defender, Lisa Kroemer. "It is obvious he has not gotten off to a particularly good start in life. Drugs seem to be fueling his deviance."
She suggested a shorter sentence given his young age and the prison term he is already serving, and likely to serve on the Monroe County charges, to give him a better chance at turning his life around.
District Attorney Lawrence Friedman argued that given the record he's already amassed and the seriousness of the crime, Vega was already given a substantial break with his plea deal. Zambito said he agreed with that assessment.
