A St. Paul man has been sentenced to over 14 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release for three armed robberies of grocery stores located in St. Paul along University Avenue, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger late last week.
Federal charges against Nicholas Antwain Dancy, 39, were announced last year as part of the U.S. Attorney’s ongoing crackdown on the Twin Cities crime epidemic, which Luger said at the time was “far more disturbing” than numbers showed.
According to court documents, on three separate occasions between May 27 and June 5, 2022, Dancy robbed three immigrant-run grocery stores located on University Avenue in St. Paul: Towfiq Grocery, Midway Grocery and Deli, and Global Food and Mid Market. During the robberies, Dancy used a firearm to threaten the employees and demand cash.
Dancy, who is a previously convicted felon, pleaded guilty on July 14, 2023, to three counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He was sentenced by Judge John R. Tunheim.
Unlike Minnesota state sentencing, federal inmates must serve a minimum of 85 percent of their sentence before becoming eligible for supervised release.
The case was the result of an investigation conducted by FBI and the St. Paul Police Department.
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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
