COLUMBIA, S.C. — A 31-year-old Columbia man has pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime, robbery and attempted robbery and has been sentenced to 21 years in federal prison.
According to court records, Iric Bolden robbed three Midlands convenience stores while armed with a gun and attempted to rob a fourth over the course of nine days in the fall of 2019. Specifically:
- On Sept. 29, Bolden robbed the 76 gas station at 2538 Two Notch Rd., near the intersection of Covenant Road, after entering the store, walking behind the counter and pointing a gun at the clerk. Bolden walked out of the store with cash from the register, cigarettes and the clerk's cell phone. During the robbery, he detained a customer trying to leave by pointing his gun at the customer.
- On Sept. 30, Bolden entered the Marathon Corner Shop at 1901 Faraway Dr., in the Woodfield neighborhood, with a drawn gun and a mask over his face. Bolden, frightened by a cashier, dropped his mask and ran from the store without robbing it.
- On Oct. 3, Bolden entered the Mini Mart at 900 S Kilbourne in the Rosewood neighborhood, pretended to browse through the store, then went behind the counter, pointed a gun at a clerk and forced the clerk to the ground while he stole money from the cash registers, cigarettes, and the clerk's phone.
- On Oct. 6, Bolden entered Percival Grocery at 301 Percival Rd., pulled a gun from his waistband and demanded the clerk open the cash register. Bolden then proceeded to take money from the register, cigarettes, and the clerk's cell phone and money.
Surveillance footage taken into evidence from all four locations clearly showed Bolden in the acts of committing armed robbery. After his arrest by Richland County Sheriff's Department deputies, Bolden confessed to the robberies. Bolden had a previous record, including multiple convictions for shoplifting, and was on probation for strongarm robbery during the time he committed the armed robberies.
US District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Bolden to 288 months in federal prison, followed by three years of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.