TEMPE, Ariz. - (12/12/05) -- Two men who brought in hired gunsfrom California to rob two local credit unions of almost $300,000were sentenced last week to long terms behind bars. The two men,Jonathan Hunter and Derrick McCreary, masterminded the two heistsfrom their Los Angeles base by scouting out the credit unions, thenrecruiting Los Angeles gang members to serve as the gunmen, withoutparticipating in the robberies themselves, according toprosecutors. The two were found guilty of planning a January 2002hold-up at Tempe Schools FCU when $182,000 was stolen, as well as arobbery a month later at Safeway FCU when $106,000 was taken.McCreary, 34, was sentenced to 38-and-a-half years in prison andHunter to 42 years. McCreary traveled to Tempe to sketch out thecredit union floor plans and Hunter enlisted the gang members, thenthey drove the gangsters across the desert the night before therobberies. In the hours before each hold-up the two stole a getawaycar to facilitate the escape of their accomplices. The two criminalmasterminds used text messages transmitted over cell phones tocommunicate their plans, some of which were used as evidence toconvict them.
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