Man convicted of robbing gas station

A Hempstead man faces 7 to 14 years in prison after a Nassau jury Tuesday found him guilty of robbing a Baldwin gas station in November 2010.

Prosecutors said jurors deliberated for about three hours before convicting Shawn Peterson, 44, of two counts of third-degree robbery. He is scheduled to be sentenced March 20.

"The evidence against Mr. Peterson was overwhelming, and the jury was able to see through the defendant's lies," District Attorney Kathleen Rice said. "Now he is looking at a lengthy prison term, all over a few dollars and a couple of packs of cigarettes."

Peterson's lawyer, Jeffrey Groder of Mineola, could not be reached for comment late Tuesday.

Prosecutors said that shortly after midnight on Nov. 11, 2010, Peterson and two other men, Dion Mitchell, 43, of West Hempstead, and Isiah Boykin, 42, of Uniondale, entered the Valero gas station on Grand Avenue in Baldwin, told the attendant that they had a gun, and demanded that he hand over the cash in the register. The attendant never saw the gun, prosecutors said.

The three men then stole about $1,100 and several packs of cigarettes from the station, along with a customer's car keys, prosecutors said.

They said the robbers fled on foot after they were unable to open the rear doors of the customer's Honda Accord.

Nassau County police officers arrested them a few blocks from the gas station as they fled on foot, prosecutors said.

Mitchell previously pleaded guilty to fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and spent 11 months in jail, prosecutors said.

Boykin previously pleaded guilty to third-degree robbery and is awaiting sentencing.