Wichita Man Sentenced To 25 Years For Robbery, Shooting At Police

WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for robbing a Kentucky Fried Chicken and shooting at police as he tried to get away, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

Paul F. Sifuentez, 56, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm during a robbery, one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm after a felony conviction.

In his plea, Sifuentez admitted that on June 7, 2012, he robbed the Kentucky Fried Chicken at 1251 S. Woodlawn in Wichita. During the robbery, he threatened employees with a firearm. He fled the store in a car driven by co-defendant James L. Adamson of Wichita. The getaway car had a personalized tag that read “SAVOY.”

When two officers in a patrol car contacted the robbers near the store,Adamson pulled into a parking lot at the Woodlawn Baptist Church, 960 S. Woodlawn. As one of the officers got out of the patrol car, Sifuentez leaned out of his window and pointed a handgun at her. He fired three shots, shattering the glass on the officer’s car door and narrowly missing the female officer, before he and Adamson drove away.

The getaway car was found abandoned at the Governeour Manor Apartment complex at 7025 E. Lincoln. Sifuentez was arrested after he was found hiding at the apartment complex. Adamson was arrested later when he returned to his home in the 4400 block of east Boston street.

In January, co-defendant James L. Adamson was sentenced to five years in federal prison. He pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting a robbery.

Grissom commended the Wichita Police Department, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Warner and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith for their work on the case.