Judge sends convicted robber to prison for 5 years

Dario Maidana held up a video store, a restaurant, a check-cashing store and Dollar General. He had nearly $20,000 to show for it afterward. Now all he has left is a five-year prison sentence.

Maidana, 21, of 86 Truman Circle, East Naples, pleaded no contest Tuesday in Collier County Circuit Court. Judge Lawrence D. Martin convicted Maidana on four armed robbery charges.

Maidana used $15,000 of the money from the stickups to buy a car that he registered in his girlfriend’s name, according to court records. He also bought some new clothes, and he bragged to friends about how he got the cash.

One of the friends notified the authorities.

Maidana was arrested in connection with the four East Naples holdups and charged with the four armed robberies. Each count was punishable by up to life imprisonment.

In each robbery, Maidana brandished a gun and threatened to kill or shoot the clerks. In the first robbery, on Jan. 11, 2004, he used a BB gun to steal about $15,000 from Rapid Giros, 6012 Radio Road, according to the arrest report.

He then robbed the Dollar General Store at 4903 Rattlesnake Hammock Road of $1,400. Afterward, deputies found a sweatshirt that matched the description of the one the robber was wearing.

A month later, on Feb. 9, 2004, Maidana robbed a check-cashing store at 11263 U.S. 41 E. He made off with $395 after threatening to kill the clerk, according to court records.

And in the last holdup, he stole $1,444 from Naples Video Center at 2291 U.S. 41 E., the arrest report says.

Maidana pleaded no contest after his attorney, Landon Miller, brokered a plea agreement with Assistant State Attorney Dave Scuderi. Maidana will receive credit for the time he has served in Collier County jail since his Feb. 21, 2004, arrest.