COLUMBUS, Ohio — A 20-year-old Columbus man convicted of orchestrating a string of aggravated robberies in the Short North last summer was sentenced to up to 30 years in prison.
Basho Arbo was sentenced by Franklin County Court Judge Michael Holbrook this week on six separate counts of aggravated robberies for his role.
Between July and August 2021, Arbo and a group of juveniles would find victims late at night in the Short North area, hold them at gunpoint and steal from them.
According to Franklin County Prosecutor Gary Tyack, the suspects made the victims unlock their phones and provide bank account information in most cases. As a result, the victims would later discover money withdrawn and other accounts compromised.
According to Tyack, Arbo was the ringleader of the stinged robberies and was the only adult in the group.
Tyack said there were approximately 12 incidents fitting the group’s scheme initially reported to police. Victims from only four of those incidents were willing to cooperate with a prosecution.
Arbo pled guilty to the charges on Aug. 3.