Redwood City - 19 December, 2005 -

Two of three men who robbed the Boys & Girls Club in South San Francisco of its Bingo revenues at gunpoint in June were sentenced to prison time on Friday. Bernard Hutcherson, 19, received two years in prison, and Shahid Soloman, 18, received three years. The gunman, Daron McClinton, 19, faces four years in prison when he is sentenced on Feb. 8. Police said the two conspired with McClinton to rob the club, at 201 W. Orange Ave. Soloman, who was a club employee, and Hutcherson, who was a member, enlisted McClinton to help because he would not be recognized, according to prosecutors. The men confronted two employees counting Bingo proceeds and demanded the money while pointing a .38 caliber semi-automatic handgun. Prosecutors said Soloman had entered the club when it was closed to scope out how many people were there. He ran into Executive Director Norman Martin and claimed he was waiting for a staff member and would leave shortly. Minutes later, McClinton entered the club's office with a semi-automatic handgun and demanded money from Martin and Assistant Executive Director Lisa Dezorda, who were counting the proceeds from the Bingo fund-raiser. Police said Hutcherson waited outside the office door during the robbery and urged McClinton: "Come on! Hurry up! Let's get out of here!" They got away with $700 in Bingo money. South City police spotted them a few blocks from the club and arrested them after a foot chase. The gun and a backpack containing the money were recovered. The three were initially charged with three felony counts of armed robbery,conspiracy and carrying a loaded firearm with the intent of committing a felony. Hutcherson and Soloman pleaded no contest to first-degree robbery. McClinton pleaded no contest to second-degree robbery and the use of a firearm in commission of a felony, the District Attorney's Office said. This was not the first time the club has been victimized by robbers. The club was robbed on Nov. 8, when suspects ambushed three custodians who were cleaning the club late at night. They took keys and two autographed footballs and rifled through the executive director's office. In January 2002, three masked men with guns burst into the club during a Bingo game and fled with the cash box. Cpl. Ken Hancock of the South San Francisco Police Department said he did not believe that any arrests had been made in either of those cases. The club is one of five locations in South San Francisco and Pacifica for the Boys & Girls Clubs of North San Mateo County and offers services like tutoring, computer training, sports education and mentoring for youth.

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