Man Awaiting Sentencing for St. Cloud Aggravated Robbery, Charged with Richfield Aggravated Robbery

A Bloomington man already on probation for terroristic threats and who recently received a plea bargain on a pending Stearns County aggravated robbery case is now facing a new charge of aggravated robbery for an incident at a Richfield business earlier this month.

Abdimalik Hassan Abi, Source_ Hennepin County Jail Roster

A Bloomington man already on probation for terroristic threats and who recently received a plea bargain on a pending Stearns County aggravated robbery case is now facing a new charge of aggravated robbery for an incident at a Richfield business earlier this month.

Abdimalik Hassan Abi, 22, is facing a felony charge of first-degree aggravated robbery for an incident at a Richfield gas station on Oct. 8 during which he stole two cartons of Newport cigarettes and an employee was assaulted, according to a Hennepin County criminal complaint.

The complaint states that police were dispatched to the gas station just before 8 a.m. that Tuesday on a report of a robbery and that one of two employees had been assaulted. The suspects had been loitering in the store for 20 minutes when one of the suspects, later identified as Abi, requested to purchase two cartons of Newport cigarettes. After being unable to pay for the cigarettes, Abi forced his way behind the counter and grabbed the two cartons of Newport cigarettes and then tried to jump back over the counter. One of the employees blocked Abi and the other employee grabbed Abi by the pants. A juvenile companion with Abi then struck one of the employees in the face knocking his glasses off before they both fled from the store with the cigarettes.

Within minutes police located and stopped a vehicle a short distance away which matched the description of the vehicle driven by the robbers. The officers conducted a felony traffic stop of the vehicle and removed a male identified as Abi from the rear passenger-side of the vehicle, as well as a juvenile from the driver’s seat, and another juvenile from the front passenger’s seat. Inside the vehicle, police located two cartons of Newport cigarettes and a distinct Versace brand shoe, which was a matched pair to one left behind at the gas station by one of the robbers. Police conducted separate show-up identifications with both gas station employees and each employee positively identified Abi, as well as the two juvenile vehicle occupants, as all having been involved in the robbery.

STEARNS COUNTY PENDING CASE

Alpha News reported in May that Abi had been charged in a Stearns County aggravated robbery. Abi is accused in that case of blocking the victim’s car into a space at a business parking lot and approaching the driver’s side window while displaying brass knuckles and a gun in his waistband while demanding the victim’s cellphone and code to unlock it. Abi was originally charged with four felony counts in that case including first- and second-degree aggravated robbery and two counts of prohibited person in possession of a firearm or ammunition.

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Abi has a 2017 conviction in Hennepin County for felony terroristic threats making him ineligible to possess firearms or ammunition. In that case, Abi was given a stay-of-imposition by Judge Paul Scoggin, meaning the felony sentence of up to 5 years in prison was not imposed and he was alternatively sentenced to 120 days in local jail and placed on probation.

In the Stearns County robbery case, court records show that under the terms of a plea agreement Abi pleaded guilty in August to only one of the weapons charges with the agreement that the other three felony charges would be dismissed at sentencing. Abi was released from custody to await sentencing which was scheduled for Oct. 18.

Abi, whose address on the new charging documents is listed on the 8700 block of Portland Avenue South in Bloomington, has been in custody in Hennepin County Jail since his arrest following the Richfield robbery. Abi is holding on $50,000 bail with no conditions or $25,000 with conditions. A Stearns County warrant has also issued for Abi’s arrest for failing to appear at his sentencing hearing on Oct. 18. Abi also has an active warrant out of Benton County for misdemeanor theft. Abi is next scheduled to appear in Hennepin County court on Nov. 5 to face the Richfield robbery charges.

Follow Alpha News for updates on these cases.

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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information offers citizen-powered 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.