CUYAHOGA COUNTY, Ohio — EDITOR'S NOTE: The video in the player above is from a previous, unrelated story.
The 21-year-old man who pleaded guilty to committing 18 armed robberies across Cuyahoga County in the period of one month in 2020 was sentenced Monday.
The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office says Mye Kel Cannady was sentenced to 25 to 29 years in prison.
Between August 27, 2020 and September 26, 2020, Cannady robbed 17 different Cuyahoga County gas stations, one of them twice. Six gas stations were in Cleveland, three were in Parma, two were in Lakewood, two in Independence and one each in Maple Heights, Brook Park, Beachwood and Brooklyn.
The prosecutor's office says Cannady waited outside each gas station to scope out the best time to carry out the robbery. Then, when the time was right, he went into the stores and demanded money from the victims. The prosecutor's office says both males and females were victimized, all at gunpoint. Cannady also apparently pistol-whipped some of them, and threatened their lives. He stole cash, cigarettes and other merchandise.
A break in the case finally happened for investigators on September 26, 2020. Parma Police got word that two armed robberies had happened that day. They located the suspect's vehicle near W. 130th St. and Brookpark Rd. They attempted to pull the vehicle over, but Cannady drove off and a pursuit ensued. Police chased him through multiple jurisdictions before finally catching up with him near Garfield Boulevard and E. 78th Place in Cleveland. Cannady was boxed in on a dead end road and ended up hitting two police cruisers in his attempt to get away. Cannady then got out of his car and tried to run before police caught him.
Cannady was linked to the crimes through DNA evidence, surveillance video and photos. He pleaded guilty to 18 counts of aggravated robbery, one count of failure to comply, one count of vandalism and one count of having weapons under disability.
Cannady was sentenced under "The Reagan Tokes Law," which puts an indefinite sentencing in place for non-life felonies of the first and second degree in which the judge imposes both a minimum term (from the current sentencing range) and maximum term (that includes an additional 50% of the minimum term imposed). The Ohio Department of Corrections will then review Cannady's case in 25 years and determine whether he should be released.
“This serial robber traumatized nearly two dozen people at gunpoint in only a month’s time,” said Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley. “He has been held accountable for the havoc he wreaked in our community.”
EDITOR'S NOTE: The video in the player below is from a previous, unrelated story.