HAYDEN, ID – A 40-year-old Hayden man has been sentenced to prison after being convicted of armed robbery, burglary, and concealment of evidence in connection to a gas station hold-up earlier this year.

Vance Robert Groene was sentenced on July 22, 2025, by District Judge Ross Pittman to a unified 15-year prison term with parole eligibility after three years. The charges stem from a January 25 incident, which prosecutors say occurred after Groene had spent the day drinking.

According to the Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office, Groene entered a local convenience store and gas station wearing a mask and holding a revolver. He demanded all the money from the cash register and fled with more than $1,000 in cash.

The store’s surveillance system captured the robbery, and a detailed description from the cashier helped deputies with the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office identify and arrest Groene within 24 hours. At the time of his arrest, Groene had a portion of the stolen money on him and was reportedly on his way to dispose of the firearm in a nearby lake.

Groene’s criminal record spans more than two decades and includes convictions for assault, battery, possession of a controlled substance, domestic battery, malicious injury to property, and multiple probation violations.

Prosecuting Attorney Stanley T. Mortensen recommended a 20-year sentence with parole eligibility after 10 years. Judge Pittman ultimately imposed a 15-year sentence with eligibility after three.

Mortensen thanked the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office for their investigative work and commended the store clerk for remaining calm during the robbery and cooperating throughout the case.