A man who used Mountain Dew sodas as props when he robbed several convenience stores in Pennsylvania has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.
Eric Barbati also pleaded guilty to two bank robberies. In addition to his prison sentence, the 33-year-old New Castle resident also must pay restitution to the stores and banks he robbed.
In the convenience store robberies, Barbati approached the store clerk and attempted to pay for a bottle of Mountain Dew before using a knife to commit the robbery. All the convenience stores were in New Castle, and Barbati escaped with less than $300 each time.
In September 2017, Barbati robbed a PNC Bank in Hermitage of approximately $2,700 and a Huntington Bank in New Castle or approximately $1,600.