Thread: N.C.: Immigrant pleads guilty in Pender convenience store ro

Immigrant pleads guilty in Pender convenience store robberies

By Veronica Gonzalez

Published: Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at 3:07 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at 3:07 p.m.

An undocumented immigrant from Honduras pleaded guilty Monday to helping rob convenience stores in Burgaw and Wallace.

The stores, called Your Convenience Store, were robbed in November 2008, and Humberto Diaz pleaded guilty to conspiracy and aiding and abetting in the use of a firearm.

In the Wallace robbery on Nov. 15, 2008, Diaz pulled a knife and demanded money from the register while Ever Jose Contreras grabbed $320 from the drawer, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the state’s eastern district.

Contreras has pleaded guilty to the same charges as Diaz.

On Nov. 23, 2008, Diaz, Contreras, Jose Leonel Matute and Daniel Edgardo Rodriguez entered the store at 14531 U.S. 421 in Burgaw while another man waited in a car.

Diaz and Contreras went to the back of the store where they encountered a customer.

Diaz took a .22-caliber revolver out of his pocket and pointed it at him, demanding his wallet. He then fired a round at the customer’s head and missed while other co-defendants at the front of the store stole $50 from the register.

Diaz could face life imprisonment for the firearm charge and 20 years for conspiracy.

Authorities have said that all five men were allegedly involved in the MS-13 gang.

www.starnewsonline.com

Salt of the earth , just what we need more of in this country. Thank you Bush, thank you McCain, thank you Obama... the world is now a much safer place since you are raping other countries for oil, while other countries are raping us for living..

Amazing what corporate ownership of the White House can do. The war waged is on Americans, by the government; the Afghanistan $57,000. per minute expenditure is just a distraction. Although true what the per minute cost is, the real war is taking Americans out; and they have just about won it.