19-year-old pleads guilty to armed robbery in New Hanover County Superior Court

A Wilmington man pleaded guilty to a second armed robbery in New Hanover County Superior Court on Monday.

Officers responded to Stewart Circle on October 21, 2023, shortly after 8:30 p.m. to a report of an armed robbery, according to a news release from the New Hanover County District Attorney's Office. Two men reported they had been robbed at gunpoint by several individuals. The victims reported that a phone and wallet from one of the victims had been stolen before the suspects fled in the victim's vehicle.

Police located the vehicle and identified two 19-year-old suspects, Zy'Merion Debose and Avion James-Graham, according to the release. Both Debose and James-Graham were carrying handguns. Debose later admitted to police that he was present when the armed robbery took place but denied use of the handgun during the incident.

On Monday, Debose pleaded guilty to armed robbery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Debose was previously convicted of robbing a delivery driver in 2021. He will serve a maximum of 83 months for his role in the 2023 offense.

James-Graham, also facing charges in connection with the incident, has a case pending in the New Hanover County Superior Court.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: 19-year-old pleads guilty to armed robbery, sentenced in New Hanover