A Houston man was sentenced to 31 years in prison Wednesday for four robberies he committed during a 12-hour crime spree in the Houston metro area in 2021.

Jose Perez Jr., now 22, was sentenced for four counts each of robbery and brandishing a firearm. Perez Jr. got three years on the robbery charges, and 28 years to be served consecutively on the gun charges.

Perez Jr. began his 12-hour spree at around 11:15 p.m. on March 2, 2021, when he robbed a Circle K store in Friendswood, Texas while armed with an assault rifle.

He would also rob an adult novelty store in Webster, the Friendswood Circle K for a second time, and a Chevron gas station in Friendswood. Perez Jr.’s dark Chevrolet and license plate number were noticed by clerks, however, and police began pursuing him shortly after he robbed the Chevron.

The spree ultimately ended with Perez Jr.’s arrest before 1 p.m. on March 3, 2021, when he was taken into custody without further incident. Perez Jr. pleaded guilty to the armed robberies last Jan. 19.

“This young man has thrown most of his life away. At 22 now, he will likely be an old man before his release from federal prison. … Jose Luis Perez terrorized the Houston area for 12 long hours, robbing convenience stores and a gas station at gunpoint,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas Alamdar Hamdani said in a statement.

Perez Jr. was also accused at the sentencing hearing of robbing several individuals, but other possible charges were not specified by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.