Why a man convicted in a violent Centre County robbery spree had time taken off his sentence
A Boalsburg man involved in a rash of violent robberies and burglaries that rattled Centre County in 2010 had more than 11 years pared off his minimum state prison sentence Tuesday.
Centre County Judge Brian Marshall resentenced Dmitriy Litvinov to 28 to 56 years in state prison. He received credit for more than nine years served.
“I did wrong, and I apologize for it,” Litvinov told Marshall and about 35 friends and family members in the courtroom. “... I wish I could undo all of these events. I’m deeply sorry for what I have done.”
Litvinov, 33, was convicted in June 2012 and later sentenced to at least 39 years, four months in state prison. He was found guilty of 31 felony counts of robbery, seven felony counts of burglary, four felony counts of theft by unlawful taking, two felony counts each of kidnapping and receiving stolen property and various misdemeanor charges.
The state Superior Court in January determined mandatory minimums were improperly applied and granted him a new sentencing.
For about 40 days in 2010, Litvinov, along with Anatoliy Veretnov, Alexei Semionov and Maksim Illarionov, burglarized private residences and robbed the Centre Hall Dollar General, The Bar in Boalsburg, State Amusement, Uncle Chen’s and a State College Uni-Mart.
Litvinov brandished a gun and wore a mask in at least three of the robberies, county Assistant District Attorney Matthew Metzger wrote in a 26-page pre-sentence memo to Marshall.
None of those robbed or burglarized by Litvinov addressed Marshall before the sentence was announced. Several “vehemently” declined when contacted by the district attorney’s office because they are “mortified” by Litvinov, Metzger wrote.
“The passage of time has not healed the emotional damage caused by the defendant’s callous, violent actions,” Metzger wrote. “They still fear retaliation from the defendant and his cohorts; how can one blame them considering the acts in question?”
Litvinov, a 2005 State College Area High School graduate, emigrated from Kazakhstan with his family when he was 15, defense lawyers Wayne Bradburn Jr. and Marc Decker wrote in an 88-page pre-sentence memo to Marshall.
Bradburn argued a lengthy prison sentence was not necessary because of Litvinov’s “inevitable” deportation — something Metzger wrote was “speculative.”
“Mr. Litvinov is genuinely angry at himself for putting himself in the situation that he has in not being available for his family or attend significant events, such as the births of his sister’s two children,” Bradburn and Decker wrote.
The hearing was “probably the most complex” Marshall has been a part of in his about two years as a county judge, he said.
“This is a sad case. ... He was certainly a young man and I appreciate the words he’s shared with the court expressing remorse,” Marshall said. “... The defendant’s acts absolutely terrorized the victims in various crimes. ... They were very brazen acts.”
Veretnov, 35, is detained at Forest state prison; Semionov, 37, is detained at Huntingdon state prison; and Illarionov, 30, is detained at Somerset state prison.
This story was originally published November 26, 2019, 1:48 PM.
