NORRISTOWN — A Pottstown man admitted to robbing a borough Turkey Hill store while armed with a knife and will face a sentencing hearing later this year.
Brian L. Missimer, 40, of the 800 block of North Washington Street, pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Court to a felony charge of robbery in connection with a June 2023 incident at the Turkey Hill convenience store on North Charlotte Street.
Judge Thomas M. DelRicci deferred sentencing so that court officials could complete a background investigation report about Missimer, who will undergo drug, alcohol and mental health evaluations.
The open guilty plea means Missimer has no deals with prosecutors regarding his potential sentence. The judge will have sole discretion in fashioning the punishment after hearing arguments from prosecutors and defense lawyers.
Missimer faces a possible maximum sentence of 5 to 10 years in prison on the charge. However, state sentencing guidelines could allow for a lesser sentence.
The investigation began about 7:53 p.m. June 25, 2023, when Pottstown police were dispatched to the Turkey Hill at 798 N. Charlotte St. for a report of an armed robbery, according to a criminal complaint filed by Pottstown Police Officer Edward Nitka.
A store employee reported that a man, wearing a hooded sweatshirt, black gloves and a black face mask, approached a counter and when asked if he was ready to check out stated, “Yeah, give me everything” and then produced a large knife, according to the arrest affidavit.
“(The victim) described the knife as a ‘military-style’ knife and reported it resembled a bayonet,” Nitka wrote in the criminal complaint.
After producing the knife, the suspect, later identified as Missimer, walked behind the counter. The clerk opened the cash register and handed $328 cash to Missimer, who then fled from the store, south in the alley behind the store, police alleged.
Another store employee reported that the suspect had been in the store about 20 minutes prior to the robbery, at which time he was not wearing a mask, and “walked around and then left without making a purchase,” according to court documents.
Police reviewed store surveillance camera footage that assisted in identifying Missimer.
Two days later, a store employee reported to police that the suspect had returned to the store, made a purchase and paid for the item using a credit card. Police obtained the credit card number.
On June 29, police observed Missimer standing in traffic on East High Street and at that time he was in possession of a military-style knife and in possession of a credit card with numbers matching the card that was used at the Turkey Hill on June 27, according to the arrest affidavit.
After he was taken into custody, Missimer underwent an involuntary mental health evaluation and was transported to Montgomery County Emergency Services in Norristown, court documents indicate.
When police searched Missimer’s residence they found black gloves and clothing that matched the clothing he wore during the robbery.
Court records indicate Missimer applied to have his case play out in the county’s behavioral health court, which addresses the needs of people with serious mental health problems who are progressing through the court system. However, the application was denied due to the “nature of the offense,” specifically that it involved a felony committed with a knife.
By pleading guilty to the robbery charge, Missimer admitted that during the course of committing a theft, he placed another person in fear of immediate bodily injury.
Other charges of terroristic threats, possession of an instrument of crime and possession of a prohibited offensive weapon are slated to be dismissed against Missimer at the time of sentencing.
