Richmond Man Sentenced to 22 Years for Armed Robbery Spree

A 29-year-old Richmond man was sentenced to more than 22 years in prison for committing a series of armed robberies that began in San Rafael nearly three years ago.

Kao Saeturn was sentenced Thursday by U. S. District Judge Claudia Wilken in Oakland for leading a band of thieves that committed the robberies by targeting small businesses and their customers throughout the Bay Area, according to U. S. Attorney Joseph P. Russoniello.

According to court documents, Saeturn was a parolee-at-large when he led an armed robbery crew to commit several robberies and an attempted carjacking between December 2007 and January 2008. During these robberies, the victims, many of whom were teenage girls, were held at gunpoint, threatened with death, and physically restrained. Saeturn and his crew typically took the victims' cash, credit and debit cards along with identification cards, and used the proceeds to buy methamphetamine.

The first robbery occurred in Dec. 2007 when Saeturn and his co-conspirators San "Forty" Saephan, Davis Kiet Dang and Jantar "Kelly" Phun traveled from Oakland to a massage parlor in San Rafael. Saeturn, Saephan and Dang entered the business and Saeturn pointed a Glock 17 pistol at a woman, demanding her money. After taking her purse and a necklace, the group drove back to Oakland to divide the robbery proceeds and smoke methamphetamine, according to court documents.

 "The nature of this investigation and prosecution once again demonstrates the inexorable connection between drugs and violence in our society," Russoniello said. "This prosecution also highlights the federal government's commitment to working with our local partners in law enforcement — combining our resources, skills, and efforts to identify, apprehend and bring to justice those who use guns and violence to victimize innocent people."

The second robbery occurred a week later in Jan. 2008 at a massage business in El Cerrito, where the crew robbed women workers and male customers.

Two nights later Saeturn, Saephan and Soeung "Goofy" Mouv robbed a karaoke club in Hayward armed with a 38-caliber revolver, court documents reveal.

In Feb.  2008, officers from the California Highway Patrol and Oakland Police Dept.  learned that Saeturn was in the basement of a home located on East 24th Street in Oakland. Numerous units responded including a SWAT team and arrested Saeturn and several other individuals.

A federal grand jury returned a second superseding indictment charging Saeturn with numerous conspiracy, weapons and robbery counts.

Saeturn pleaded guilty pursuant to a plea agreement to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and extortion, three counts of interference with commerce by robbery and extortion, and one count of using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.