WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – A 39-year-old Wilmington man will serve up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty Tuesday, March 10, to more than a dozen charges, including common-law robbery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and drug distribution near a park.
Tobias Van Cooley Jr. was convicted on offenses spanning four months in 2025.
According to the District Attorney (DA) Jason W. Smith’s office, on March 22, 2025, Cooley and three others robbed an acquaintance outside a 7-Eleven at 4615 Market St.
The DA states Cooley brandished a firearm while a woman used a stun gun on the victim as the group beat him and stole cash. The incident was captured on surveillance and a 911 call. The cases against co-defendants Hannah Long and William Beck are still pending…