WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) - A Connecticut man who had faced a felony murder charge in the death of a worker at a bodega during a robbery has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.
The Republican American reports that 37-year-old Joseph Frye pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery in the 2017 death of 24-year-old David Rivera-Mateo, who was gunned down inside the now-closed M&G Deli and Grocery in Waterbury.
Frye was sentenced to four years in prison, far less than the 25 he faced if convicted of felony murder.
Witnesses told police four masked men barged into the store and forced them to lie face down while pointing guns at their heads. The robbers stole cellphones, cash and wallets from customers and employees before shooting the victim.
Three other men await trial.
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Information from: Republican-American, http://www.rep-am.com
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