An Indianapolis man has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to robbing several auto parts stores, including an AutoZone in Carmel.
Korrtel Filzen, 30, pleaded guilty to charges of robbery and brandishing a firearm. U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young sentenced Filzen Jan. 8 during a change of plea and sentencing hearing in the federal courthouse in Indianapolis.
Filzen targeted AutoZone and O’Reilly’s Auto Parts stores primarily on the southwest and northwest sides of Indianapolis during seven armed robberies from December 2017 to Jan. 6, 2018, when he robbed the Carmel store. During that robbery, Filzen had a handgun and demanded money from safes in several areas of the store, Carmel police said. Employees complied, and Filzen stole $1,946. No one was injured. He was arrested three days later.
Investigators identified Filzen after capturing a clear image of his face from a surveillance video from one of the stores he targeted. One of his victims also identified him in a photo array. He was on parole for felony burglary at the time.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Dept. and Carmel Police Dept. partnered on the case.
“The arrest and prosecution of Mr. Filzen shows the power and importance of the collaborative efforts of law enforcement on the local, state and federal levels,” CPD Chief Jim Barlow stated. “Crime knows no jurisdictional boundaries and law enforcement must work together as a team. The success of this case highlights the cooperation and hard work of our officers, detectives, and agents.”
Filzen is required to serve three years of supervised release after his prison term.
