Man sentenced to 30+ years in prison for Isanti County robbery gone wrong
ISANTI COUNTY, Minn. — A judge sentenced a Northfield man to more than 30 years in prison for his role in a staged robbery that ended in murder in Isanti County.
The sentencing comes after a court found Fredy Saavedra Olivar, 41, guilty of second-degree murder and first-degree burglary last November.
Saavedra Olivar was sentenced on Wednesday to 25.5 years in prison for second-degree murder. He received a consecutive sentence of five years for the first-degree burglary charge.
The robbery and shooting happened on Dec. 13, 2023, on the 7800 block of 309th Avenue Northwest in Spencer Brook Township.
Court documents say Saavedra Olivar hired three men to rob a "stash house" that contained money and drugs. Olivar believed he could get out of a debt to a "cartel organization" by staging the robbery, according to the complaint.
The three men went to the house dressed as police officers. Saavedra Olivar supplied the men with guns and drugs, charges say.
During the burglary, Jose De Jesus Diaz Fernandez was shot and killed by one of the men. Four other people were there during the shooting, including a toddler, charges say.
In addition to his prison sentence, Saavedra Olivar has been ordered to pay more than $9,500 in restitution.
