A Spartanburg man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after he admitted to burglarizing and robbing a local retailer at gunpoint.
Edward Pearson, 60, pleaded guilty to armed robbery, second-degree burglary, resisting arrest and petty larceny. Circuit Judge Dan Hall issued the sentence on Tuesday.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to a burglar alarm at the Family Dollar, 1480 Asheville Highway, on Nov. 30, 2020, and found Pearson at the business. Pearson was taken into custody after a short foot pursuit. He dropped a bag of stolen cigarettes when he attempted to flee. Pearson resisted arrest when confronted by law enforcement. A security camera recorded Pearson breaking the glass in the business’s front door during the break-in.
After bonding out of jail, Pearson returned to the Family Dollar on Asheville Highway on Jan. 21, 2021. He threatened a store clerk and a manager with a handgun before placing cigarettes in a bag and fleeing. The store’s security system recorded the robbery. Pearson confessed to the hold-up after his arrest.
Assistant Solicitor Ben Sawyer prosecuted the case.
Pearson will serve 85 percent of the prison sentence before he is eligible for release. His prior criminal record included convictions for possession of methamphetamine, strong-arm robbery, manslaughter, violation of parole and multiple property crime offenses.