Bridgeport Man Sentenced In Federal Armed Robbery Cases: U.S. Attorney

BRIDGEPORT, CT — A 22-year-old Bridgeport man was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for committing two armed robberies in Bridgeport in 2022, U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan announced.

Derrick Rivera received a sentence of 144 months in prison followed by the supervised release from U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford.

Rivera, who has been in custody since his arrest in November 2023, pleaded guilty in October 2025 to one count of interference with commerce by robbery, also known as Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of carrying, using and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

According to court documents and statements, Rivera entered a barbershop on Wood Avenue in Bridgeport on Nov. 11, 2022, while brandishing a firearm. He robbed an employee and two customers of cash before fleeing the business.

Prosecutors said Rivera carried out a second robbery on Nov. 25, 2022, at a restaurant on Wade Street in Bridgeport. During the incident, Rivera pointed a firearm at the owner, who was standing behind the register, and demanded money. Rivera then reached across the counter, grabbed cash and fired two shots in the direction of the owner and other employees while fleeing.

One bullet passed through the digital display of the cash register. Debris from the shattered register and a shell casing caused injuries to the owner’s face, eye, hand and stomach, authorities said.

In a victim impact statement, the restaurant owner said the trauma from the robbery and shooting ultimately forced him to sell the business.

The case was investigated by the Bridgeport Police Department, the Stratford Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.