A 32-year-old Cheyenne man faces five criminal charges and up to 35 years in prison for allegedly using brass knuckles, followed by a pistol, to steal an Xbox video game console from someone’s home.
Court documents made available on Wednesday show: James Rizzo was charged with:
• One count of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon.
• Two counts of aggravated assault and battery by threatening with a weapon.
• One count of theft.
• One count of child endangering.
He was arrested on the charges Monday after an incident at a Cheyenne home on Friday, according to court documents.
According to the arrest affidavit, the Cheyenne Police Department responded to a report of a domestic dispute involving a weapon.
When an officer arrived, a 17-year-old boy reported that Rizzo attempted to attack him with brass knuckles while Rizzo’s 7-year-old daughter was on the property.
The 17-year-old told police that he was “able to run away and hide on top of a parked RV after James Rizzo sent his dog, a husky, to attack (him).”
Meanwhile, a 36-year-old resident of the home told police that Rizzo attempted to steal a $700 Xbox from a 21-year-old man who was also present.
The man claimed he attempted to reclaim the Xbox from Rizzo, who refused to return it.
“James Rizzo retrieved a pistol from his vehicle and pointed it at (the 36-year-old man) while approaching him after shouting, ‘I’ll kill all of you,'” referring to the man, the 17-year-old boy, and the 21-year-old man he had sent to steal the Xbox, according to the affidavit.
The 36-year-old also claimed Rizzo pointed the gun at him in the presence of Rizzo’s daughter.
A 33-year-old woman told police she witnessed the incident and saw Rizzo point the gun at people and threaten those present.
A preliminary examination of the charges is scheduled for July 25. The bond was set at $50,000 cash.
Aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon carries a maximum penalty of five to 25 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Aggravated assault and battery charges carry penalties of up to ten years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The misdemeanor theft charge can result in up to six months in jail and a $750 fine, whereas the child endangering charge can result in one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Rizzo remains in the Laramie County Jail.
