BRADENTON — A former U.S. postal worker who wore underwear on his head while trying to rob a convenience store was sentenced Monday to two years of house arrest.
Steven Peak, 45, of Bradenton, pleaded no contest to one count of attempted robbery in February for the Aug. 15 attempted robbery at the 7-Eleven store in the 5800 block of State Road 70 East.
A former mail carrier at a U.S. Post Office branch on Tallevast Road, Peak told deputies during his arrest, “I’ve never done something so stupid before. I just needed $50. I have a good job, according to a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office report,
During his sentencing hearing at the Manatee County Judicial Center, Peak said that he was let go from the post office after his arrest. He also said he made a mistake, that he was desperate and that he had been battling a cocaine addiction, said Assistant State Attorney Eric Reisinger,
Circuit Judge Debra Riva ruled that during Peak’s 24 months of house arrest he must successfully complete residential drug treatment. When that is finished, he must participate in one year of probation, she said.
Attempted robbery is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison.
Jennifer Joynt-Sanchez said her client has no criminal history.
Reisinger had sought a 180-day jail sentence for Peak because he has no prior record and because no weapons were used in the attempted robbery. Also, he said, no one was injured.
On the day of the attempted robbery, Peak entered the store wearing underwear on his head and socks on his hands in an effort to conceal his identity. He then approached the counter and demanded money from a clerk.
But prosecutors say Peak became nervous and fled.
Deputies set up a perimeter around the store, found him close by and then arrested him after a witness identified him.
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