Two alleged robbers who police say made off with more than $200,000 worth of cigarettes are in custody after their plan went up in smoke: In their haste to flee the T-Bird Mini Mart in Hinsdale on March 15, they failed to fully close the back door of their stolen box truck, leaving a trail of cartons on the roadway for authorities to follow, according to police.
Richard Connor and James Ferguson, both in their 60s, were recently taken into custody in Massachusetts. The men are accused of robbing the market at gunpoint, using duct tape and handcuffs to subdue two employees. After loading the cigarettes into the back of a U-Haul box truck, “some of the stolen cigarettes fell from the vehicle and helped investigators trace their route,” prosecutors said Thursday.
Within hours of the robbery, police discovered the U-Haul engulfed in flames in Orange, Massachusetts. Investigators later determined the truck had been stolen earlier in March from the rental company’s location in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Authorities used cell phone location data and surveillance footage from both the mini mart and U-Haul thefts to identify the men. After obtaining search warrants, police say they found cartons of cigarettes bearing New Hampshire tax stamps inside the men's respective homes.
Connor admitted to the crime, according to police paperwork. He said Ferguson was his brother and hatched the plan: “Connor further stated that he should’ve told Ferguson 'no' when asked to participate in the robbery.”
Attorneys for the suspects did not immediately respond to a request for comment. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison.
Ferguson is scheduled to make his first court appearance in New Hampshire on Monday, with Connor set to appear later in the week.
— Todd Bookman, NHPR
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