Two Santa Rosa brothers were sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison for a home invasion robbery, although a defense attorney tried to put part of the blame on the victims because they were growing and selling marijuana.
Attorney Roy Miller, whose client Jose Campos, 23, was sentenced along with his brother Javier, 21, for the October 2011 caper, said "dope dealing is a risky business."
"When people have large quantities of marijuana for sale and word gets out in the community, things like this happen," Miller said.
The Campos brothers and another man were charged with barging into the Middle Two Rock Road home in the middle of the night, holding the three occupants at gunpoint and binding them with duct tape.
Police said they took eight pounds of marijuana and $2,500 in cash before leaving in an SUV.
One victim got loose and phoned a description of the vehicle to police, resulting in a three-county chase down Highway 101 and over the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.
The SUV crossed the span in a shower of sparks because one of its tires had been punctured by a CHP spike strip. The engine burst into flames near Point Richmond.
Prosecutor Keith Shaw said the occupants of the home testified at a preliminary hearing about the "absolute fear" they experienced when they were awakened by three armed men.
Miller said there was evidence at a preliminary hearing that co-defendant Chris Silva-Rodriguez, 25 of Vallejo, was no stranger to the victims. He had been working for them as a pot trimmer before concocting a plan to rob them, Miller said.
The 10-year prison sentences were the result of an agreement in which the brothers agreed to plead guilty to robbery charges. The maximum potential sentence they had faced if convicted by a jury was 40 years.
Contact Staff Writer Paul Payne at 568-5312 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com.
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