Armed Robber of Rehoboth Beach Jewelry Store Sentenced to 16 Years’ Imprisonment

WILMINGTON, DE—Charles M. Oberly, III, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, and Richard A. McFeely, Special Agent in Charge of the Baltimore Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced today that District Court Judge Leonard P. Stark sentenced defendant Marvin Mencia to a total term of imprisonment of 16 years for his role in the armed robbery of a Rehoboth Beach jewelry store.

According to facts disclosed at the sentencing hearing, on April 26, 2009, Mencia, a 23-year-old permanent resident from Honduras, robbed the Khalsa Jewelry store in the Seaside Outlets in Rehoboth Beach. During the robbery, Mencia pointed a firearm at a store employee and directed her to empty approximately $166,427.00 worth of assorted jewelry into a bag he carried into the store. Mencia then ordered the employee to lock herself into a store bathroom and to wait approximately 15 minutes before exiting.

The Delaware State Police, Troops 2 and 4, solved the robbery after Mencia was arrested on a separate bank robbery in New Castle County. After officers took Mencia’s fingerprints in connection with that case, they matched fingerprints he left at the scene of the Khalsa Jewelry robbery. Mencia pleaded guilty to the bank robbery in New Castle County Superior Court, and is currently serving a nine-year sentence. Mencia subsequently pleaded guilty in federal court to Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm in connection with a crime of violence.

United States Attorney Charles M. Oberly, III, said of the case: “This prosecution demonstrates our office’s commitment to combat violent crime throughout Delaware. We commend the excellent investigation conducted by the Delaware State Police, in particular Troops 2 and 4, to solve the armed robbery, as well as the exemplary cooperation between the Delaware State Police and the FBI. The significant jail sentence imposed hopefully puts violent criminals on notice that their actions will be dealt with harshly by our office and our federal and state law enforcement partners.”

“The Mencia investigation is a great example of the positive results which can come from joint cooperation between the Delaware State Police and our office in Wilmington,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely. “Federal, state, and local law enforcement teaming up to combat violent criminals is a force multiplier for the citizens of Delaware.”

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Baltimore Division, Wilmington Resident Agency, and the Delaware State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Robert F. Kravetz prosecuted the case.

For further information, contact Assistant United States Attorney Robert F. Kravetz or United States Attorney Charles M. Oberly, III.