Fridley Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery at Totem Superette

A Fridley man who pled guilty Friday to could face a life sentence, according to the office of the U.S. Attorney for Minnesota.

Jimmy Earl Matthews, 34, admitted in federal court Friday that he used the gun to rob the store on March 11, 2011, then fled on foot when he met police on his way out.

Under a plea agreement, Matthews will get a minimum of seven years in prison, but U.S. District Judge Joan N. Ericksen could give him the maximum: a life term.

The U.S. Attorney's news release about the plea credits the police departments of Fridley and Columbia Heights, as well as the Anoka County Sheriff's Office and crime lab.

The Crime
This is how federal prosecutors described the crime in their May 11, 2011 indictment against Matthews:

Matthews entered Totem Superette, demanded cash, and threatened an employee with a gun. (That was at 9:38 p.m., according to an Anoka County criminal complaint.)

Allegedly, a Columbia Heights police officer responded to the call and saw Matthews leave the store into the alley next to the store, and hide behind a parked car. Matthews grabbed something from his sweatshirt and started to run, and the officer chased him. Matthews then allegedly fell into a snow bank and the officer saw him hide something.

According to the officer, Matthews got up and ran inside a nearby building, where he saw other police officers. This prompted him to turn around and run again. The officer who had been originally chasing him saw him throw a pair of blue gloves and a bandana into the snow. Those items matched what the robber was wearing. A short time later, Matthews was caught and arrested.

Behind the parked vehicle, police found a .38-caliber pistol with a fully loaded magazine and a bullet in the chamber. From the snow bank, police recovered $146 in cash.

Hobbs Act
The Hobbs Act, a 1946 federal law, allows for federal prosecution of individuals who commit armed robbery at a place that deals with interstate commerce. Federal prosecution often comes with tougher sentencing; and the federal system also does not allow parole, leaving the convicted criminal to serve their entire sentence.