By Shereen Siewert
WAUSAU — A man serving a 13-year prison term for his role in a string of robberies was convicted of a new crime Monday — this time, for robbing and holding employees captive at a Rib Mountain fast food restaurant.
Ademus Saechao, who goes by the nickname ‘Kung Fu Panda,” appeared Dec. 4 in Marathon County Circuit Court, where he was found guilty of armed robbery and false imprisonment. His conviction comes more than six years after the crime was committed.
Police say Saechao and 33-year-old Matthew Robine robbed the former Wendy’s Restaurant at gunpoint while Zachary Moore, 25, waited outside. Witnesses told police one of the men who robbed them was wearing a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume, which hampered their ability to identify him.
The robbery was reported at about 5:23 a.m. on Aug. 8, 2011 and remained unsolved until this year.
According to the criminal complaint,, both Moore and Robine are former employees of the restaurant, which burned to the ground in October 2013. An alarm system that had been installed at the restaurant was not operational at the time of the robbery, police said.
Robine, who is being held on a $50,000 cash bond, is facing three counts of armed robbery, two counts of false imprisonment and a single count of kidnapping in connection with the crime. A pretrial conference is set for Feb. 5.
Moore, who admitted he waited in the car while Robine and Saechao robbed the restaurant, was charged with the same offenses in April and is being held on a $25,000 cash bond.
Circuit Judge Mike Moran ordered a presentencing investigation for Saechao be completed before he is sentenced on Feb. 14. He faces up to 46 years in prison and more than $100,000 in fines.
