Armed robber sentenced to ten years

PHILIPSBURG – The Court in First Instance sentenced Collin Anthony James on Thursday to 10 years of imprisonment for his role in three armed robberies he committed in Philipsburg in July of last year.

James, 30, is detained in Zutphen. During a court hearing on January 24 he raved and ranted against the court for which he later offered his apologies. The court found him guilty of robbing the OOPS! clothing store on July 12, 2017, followed by a robbery at Alberto’s Fashion on July 15 and one at Divinitii Jewelry two days later.

The police caught James red-handed during his third robbery. He was released from prison a month earlier, on June 9, after serving a sentence of 14 years and 8 months.

At the OOPS! store, James grabbed more than $1,000, sunglasses, handbags , trousers and shirts. He threatened a store attendant with a knife and tied her up.

“Don’t make a sound or I will stab you twice in your neck,” he told the frightened woman. Then he told her: “Go down on your hands and knees and take money out of the cash register.”

Lastly, he pushed the woman into a dressing room with the words: “Stay here for fifteen minutes and don’t get up. I am going to watch you from the road to make sure you do and if you don’t I will send my boys from Fort Willem after you.”

Three days later James robbed Alberto’s Fashion of $200, 100 guilders and some jewelry. He threatened the store owners with a firearm and locked them up.

During the third robbery, at the Divinitii jewelry store, he threatened people in the store with a firearm and he stole jewelry and bottles of Hennessy brandy.

But James was arrested while he was fleeing the scene of his last crime. Video footage and his distinctive tattoos linked him to the robberies.