LCN - "Two Livingston County men are facing felony robbery and other charges following an investigation into a disturbance in the parking lot of the 7-11 convenience store in Hemlock.
Bernard J. O’Grady, 47, of Lima and Raymond T.M. Dinehart, 45, of Sparta were charged in connection with the Oct. 23 incident which involved the alleged theft of a dirt bike, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The investigation by Sheriff’s deputies determined the O’Grady had previously sold a dirt bike to an individual. It is alleged that the individual who had purchased the bike did not pay O’Grady in full. O’Grady later discovered that the dirt bike was for sale on Craigslist, the Sheriff’s Office said.
O’Grady and his friend, Dinehart, set up a meeting with the individual under the pretense to purchase the dirt bike, the Sheriff’s Office said.
It is alleged that when the meeting took place at the 7-11, O’Grady and Dinehart made threats of violence against the individual and forcibly took the dirt bike from the back of the individual’s pickup truck, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The pickup truck was damaged in the incident. The driver’s side door handle was broken off.
O’Grady and Dinehart left the scene with the dirt bike and were located quickly by responding deputies, the Sheriff’s Office said.
O’Grady and Dinehart were each charged with second-degree robbery, a Class C felony, fourth-degree criminal mischief and petit larceny.
The robbery charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 3-1/2 years in state prison, if convicted. Howevere, a judge has the discretion to sentence an offender to up to 15 years in prison.
Investigator Dan Rittenhouse charged O’Grady and Dinehart.
O’Grady was later arraigned in the Town of Livonia Court before Justice Margaret Graft Linsner, who released O’Grady on his own recognizance.
Dinehart was arraigned in the Town of Livonia Court before Justice Robert Lemen, who remanded Dinehart to the custody of the Sheriff on $1,000 cash bail or $2,000 bond.
The incident prompted Sheriff Dougherty to remind residents that a “Safe Transaction Zone” was created in March 2015 to prevent these types of incidents. The zone is outside the Sheriff’s Office headquarters at 4 Court St., Geneseo, and is labeled with signs and red paint on the pavement to designate the area.
The Safe Transaction Zone is under 24/7 surveillance by Sheriff’s Office members and Deputies are available if immediate help is needed by calling 243-7100."