WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A Hartford man has pleaded guilty and was sentenced for his connection to several armed and violent robberies of AT&T stores, including one in West Springfield.

Deshawn Baugh, 20, of Hartford, Connecticut pleaded guilty in November to one count of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He was sentenced Wednesday in Bridgeport, Connecticut to 108 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He must also pay restitution of $124,842.45 for the loss from a Canton, Connecticut robbery.

In 2021, Baugh and four other suspects were involved in several violent and armed robberies of AT&T stores. The suspects would enter the stores around closing time, point weapons at employees, and in some instances would pistol whip, drag, and shove employees to the back inventory rooms. They also held employees at gunpoint as they filled large bags with cell phones and electronics. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were taken from several stores.

Before Baugh joined the group, the suspects had already robbed AT&T stores in Newington, Connecticut on January 29, 2021 and in Enfield, Connecticut on February 24, 2021. Baugh is believed to have been involved in the robbery in Canton, Connecticut on April 15, 2021 and two failed attempts of robberies in Torrington, Connecticut and Glastonbury, Connecticut in May 2021.

On June 6, 2021, Baugh and the three other suspects entered an AT&T store in West Springfield armed with a semi-automatic pistol, two revolvers and a semiautomatic rifle. After leaving the store driven by the fifth suspect, they led Massachusetts State Police on a high-speed chase that ended on Route 57 in Agawam with the suspects crashing into a trooper’s cruiser. All five suspects were arrested and police found more than $150,000 in stolen merchandise and firearms in the car.

Baugh has been detained since his arrest. The other four suspects, Alex Josephs, Ronaldo Smith, Shaquille Raymond and Saviana Bourne have also all pleaded guilty to their charges and are awaiting sentencing.