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Seven men plead guilty to rest stop robberies across multiple Pennsylvania counties

By Christopher DeRose

/ CBS Pittsburgh

Seven men pleaded guilty on Monday morning at the Westmoreland County Courthouse to a series of robberies that were perpetrated at Pennsylvania highway rest stops in Somerset, Westmoreland, Washington and Dauphin counties.

Investigators say the seven individuals would work in small groups and travel in several different vehicles to rest stops, where they would isolate or trick victims into walking with them behind large trucks and then surround them and threaten them until they gave over money and jewelry.

No weapons were used in these distraction-style robberies, and no one was physically injured, however, the men stole thousands of dollars from people, before later being apprehended by state law enforcement that same month.

"This group conspired in a series of brazen robberies that endangered motorists targeted at random. The fine investigative work from our partners with the state police led to these appropriate plea resolutions," Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday .

While these men all pleaded guilty, each man was sentenced to at least three months in prison, but all have now been released and are on parole with time served.

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