New Bedford Man Receives 5-7 Year Prison Term

A New Bedford man is going to state prison for an armed robbery in January of this year.

The District Attorney's Office says 21 year old Jose Sanchez pleaded guilty to two counts of armed robbery while masked and one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Police say on January 8th, Sanchez and a juvenile co-defendant entered the Petro Mart store on Coggeshall Street. They were carrying what looked like a firearm and demanded cash.

Police say Sanchez grabbed the clerk, kicked him and beat him with the firearm. The pair then ransacked the store, taking cigarettes, cash and a customer's wallet. The clerk suffered broken ribs and a fractured orbital bone.

Following an investigation, police found Sanchez and the juvenile selling cigarettes out of Sanchez' home on Mitchell Street. They also recovered two fake guns, including a starter's pistol.

Judge Rene Dupuis on Friday sentenced Sanchez to five to seven years in state prison, followed by five years of supervised probation after he's released.