KC man gets 12 years in prison for robbing cellphone store in 2014

A Kansas City man on Monday received a 12-year prison sentence for robbing a cellphone store about a year ago.

Leonard H. White, 29, pleaded guilty at the downtown Jackson County Courthouse to robbery, resisting arrest and armed criminal action.

According to court records, White robbed a midtown cellphone store on Dec. 30, 2014, before getting into a Jeep and fleeing. Police officers soon spotted the Jeep near Linwood Boulevard and Main Street.

After police pulled the vehicle over and took the driver into custody, White moved into the driver’s seat and drove off. He drove about 11 blocks east at speeds in excess of 100 mph before the vehicle struck two cars and then a tree near Troost Avenue.

Jackson County Circuit Court Judge W. Brent Powell sentenced White to 12 years for robbery, three years for armed criminal action and four years for resisting arrest. All the sentences will run concurrently.

This story was originally published January 4, 2016 at 6:10 PM.