A man was sentenced to ten (10) years in New Jersey State Prison for an armed robbery at a gas station in Bernards Township.

Appearing in Somerset County Superior Court in Somerville, NJ, 21-year-old Erik Garcia pleaded guilty to robbing an attendant at a Lukoil gas station. According to court records, Mr. Garcia stole the attendant’s money and cell phone.

Mr. Garcia’s attorney indicated that it was Angel Delvalle, Mr. Garcia’s accomplice in the robbery, who used a cigarette lighter that looked like a gun.

On the day of the gas station robbery, Mr. Garcia and Mr. Delvalle were arrested for committing another armed robbery at a Subway restaurant in Maryland. The money and cell phone taken from the gas station attendant in Bernards Township were later found in the vehicle used to flee the Maryland robbery.

Armed robbery in New Jersey is governed by N.J.S.A. 2C:15-1. According to the statute, robbery is a first degree felony when the actor uses a deadly weapon during the robbery. Although Mr. Garcia could have been sentenced to 20 years in New Jersey State Prison if convicted, he made a plea deal that allowed him to be sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Mr. Garcia will receive credit for two (2) years of time already served, but he must serve a minimum of eight-and-a-half years before becoming eligible for parole.

For more information, see the NJ.com article entitled “Bernards Gas Station Robber Sentenced to 10 Years.“