Inver Grove Man Sentenced in Armed Robberies

A 21-year-old Inver Grove Heights man was sentenced Friday to nine years in prison for his role in two armed robberies last year.

pleaded guilty to two counts of interference with commerce by robbery for helping to rob Super America stores in Maplewood and White Bear Lake June 14, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office-District of Minnesota.

He was indicted in the crimes Aug. 8, then pleaded guilty in a plea agreement Nov. 9.

United States District Court Judge Donovan W. Frank handed down Forliti’s sentence.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office press release:

Forliti admitted that on June 14, he and another man entered a SuperAmerica store in Maplewood. Forliti also admitted that he ran behind the check-out counter, pointed a BB-gun at the store clerk and demanded the clerk open the cash register. Once the register was opened, Forliti admitted he stole approximately $200, using the gun to compel the clerk to relinquish the cash. In addition, Forliti admitted that same day, the two men stole approximately $200 from a SuperAmerica store in White Bear Lake in the same manner.

According to a law enforcement affidavit filed in the case, the two masked men robbed the Maplewood store at approximately midnight. The White Bear Lake store was robbed shortly after 4 a.m. At 5:15 a.m., a Washington County Sheriff’s deputy observed two men near a wooded area close to the White Bear Lake store. The men matched the descriptions of the robbers. The deputy apprehended the men and recovered $181 in cash from Forliti’s pockets.

His accomplice is being prosecuted in Ramsey County in connection with the White Bear Lake robbery.

Be sure to follow Inver Grove Heights Patch on Twitter, "Like" us on Facebook, and sign up for our newsletter, which sends you updates about stories, breaking news, announcements, events and blogs on our site.