Man sentenced to 30 years for Short North robberies

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A man found guilty of coordinating a string of Short North robberies last summer has been sentenced to almost 30 years in prison.

Basho Arbo, a 20-year-old from Columbus, was sentenced Thursday to 28 to 30.5 years in prison for six counts of aggravated robbery, the Franklin County Prosecutor's office said in a press release Friday. All of the charges stemmed from a series of armed robberies that Arbo pled guilty to in August.

From July to August 2021, the prosecutor's office said Arbo led a group of juveniles through the Short North at night, looking for victims to rob at gunpoint. In several instances, they made victims unlock their phones and provide bank account information, which the group used to withdraw money.

Only four victims were willing to cooperate with the prosecution, although police said there were initially at least 12 incidents that fit the category of behavior. Those four victims identified Arbo, according to the prosecutor's office, and he was determined to be the ringleader of the group.