A surprise guilty plea to all 20 robbery counts was entered Dec. 3 by the man suspected of being the “Back Room Bandit” who ordered female employees to the back of small stores in Point Loma, La Jolla and elsewhere in San Diego. Dragon Jones, 41, faces a maximum sentence of 24 years, but San Diego Superior Court Judge Kathleen Lewis said she would limit the term to 16 years or less. Sentencing is set for Jan. 25. The plea was made without any deals from the District Attorney’s Office. The series of robberies took place between Sept. 25 and Oct. 31, the day Jones was arrested as he entered the San Ysidro border crossing area. Jones robbed Pet People stores on Midway Drive and in La Jolla. Jones also robbed a yogurt shop in National City and left his fingerprints on one counter that allowed National City police to uncover his identity. Deputy District Attorney Amy Maund said Jones usually took amounts of up to several hundred dollars from each store. Maund said Jones appeared to have selected small stores with a lone employee. If a worker hesitated in handing over money, prosecutors said, Jones would pull a gun and threaten to shoot them. Jones pleaded guilty in advance of a preliminary hearing set for Dec. 15. He remains in custody on $750,000 bail.