ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- A former Air Force major with no previous criminal history is facing up to 20 years in prison after being convicted of robbing two real estate agents at gunpoint.
The Tampa Bay Times reports that 59-year-old Paul Pinkston was convicted Friday of two counts of armed robbery and one count of kidnapping. Both robberies happened last June 3 at St. Petersburg homes where he had met agents while pretending to be a buyer.
In the first robbery, Pinkston pulled a gun on the agent, bound her with zip ties and demanded $50,000 ransom from her husband. He took her phone and keys after failing to get the money.
In the second, he took the agent's phone and keys at gunpoint. The robberies caused panic among Tampa Bay agents.
