A Lancaster man has been sentenced to nearly nine years in federal prison for the armed robbery of a convenience store in Chester County earlier this year. United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Micael Dilone Rojas Diaz, 25, received a sentence of 106 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and restitution totaling $518.61. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge John M. Gallagher.
Rojas Diaz was indicted in May 2024 on charges including one count of Hobbs Act robbery—robbery interfering with interstate commerce—and one count related to using and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. He pleaded guilty to both charges in June.
According to court documents and statements admitted by the defendant, Rojas Diaz and co-defendant Ashley Santos-Rodriguez entered the Turkey Hill convenience store on Horseshoe Pike in Honey Brook, Pennsylvania, around February 10, 2024. Both wore masks during the incident. At the time, only a 59-year-old clerk was present.
Rojas pointed a loaded .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol at the clerk’s face while demanding money. Meanwhile, Santos-Rodriguez took cigarettes from behind the counter. The pair left with about $124 and roughly 40 packs of Newport cigarettes before fleeing by car. Police stopped their vehicle approximately 20 minutes later and recovered both the cash and cigarettes.
The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Zaleski prosecuted the case.
“This case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Zaleski.”
