by peter e. bortner
Tysheed Hargrove and Jose Nunez came to Northeastern Pennsylvania from New Jersey to rob convenience stores in the winter of 2011-12.
Before they see their homes again, they will each spend time in federal prison cells after being sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court in Scranton for the robberies in Carbon, Luzerne and Schuylkill counties.
Hargrove, 20, and Nunez, 20, each formerly of Newark, N.J., must serve 10 and 7 1/2 years, respectively, in a federal correctional institution, Senior U.S District Judge Richard P. Conaboy ruled.
Conaboy also ordered Hargrove to spend three years on supervised release following his prison sentence and pay a $1,100 special assessment and $7,986.78 restitution. He also ordered Nunez to spend three years on supervised release following his prison sentence and pay a $700 special assessment and $2,936.20 restitution.
Hargrove and Nunez each pleaded guilty on Aug. 28 to 11 and seven counts, respectively, of interference with commerce by robbery, aiding and abetting.
Prosecutors charged Hargrove with robbing the following stores on the indicated dates.
- Convenience Mart, 51 W. Juniper St., Hazleton, Dec. 21, 2011
- Turkey Hill, 70 Station Circle, Hazle Township, Dec. 24, 2011
- Unimart, Foster Township, Luzerne County, Jan. 5, 2012
- Turkey Hill, 800 Alter St., Hazleton, Jan. 6, 2012
- Turkey Hill, 800 Alter St., Hazleton, Jan. 10, 2012
- Fegley's Mini-Mart, 30-32 Center St., Tamaqua, Jan. 20, 2012
- Fegley's Mini-Mart, 146 S. Kennedy Drive, McAdoo, Jan. 26, 2012
- Wawa, Route 90, White Haven, Carbon County, Jan. 29, 2012
- Turkey Hill, 205 Claremont Ave., Hometown, Feb. 3, 2012
- Unimart/Exxon, 541 Altamont Blvd., Frackville, Feb. 3, 2012
- Fegley's Mini-Mart/Dunkin' Donuts, 30-32 Center St., Tamaqua, Feb. 5, 2012
Prosecutors alleged Nunez participated in the Dec. 21, Dec. 24, Jan. 5, Jan. 26. Jan. 29 and Feb. 3 robberies.
The FBI; Pennsylvania State Police; local police from Hazleton, Kidder Township, McAdoo, Nesquehoning, Rush Township and Tamaqua; and the district attorneys offices in Carbon, Luzerne and Schuylkill counties participated in the investigation of the case.
Police arrested Hargrove and Nunez on Feb. 6, 2012, in Nesquehoning after a high-speed chase that started in Tamaqua and continued through Coaldale and Lansford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. O'Hara prosecuted the cases.