Man sentenced to prison for New Hanover County McDonald’s robbery

October 10, 2022

WWAY News,

Still1010 00009 — Richard McLaughlin has been sentenced to prison for robbing a McDonald's (Photo: New Hanover County Sheriff's Office)

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A Pennsylvania man has been found guilty by a New Hanover County jury for a 2015 armed robbery of a New Hanover County McDonald’s.

48-year-old Richard McLaughlin was found guilty on Friday to robbing the McDonald’s at Eastwood and Military Cutoff roads with two co-conspirators on October 17, 2015.

Judge Lisa Bell of Mecklenburg County presided over the trial and sentenced McLaughlin to serve a minimum of 18 years and a maximum of 23.66 years in prison.

McLaughlin and another man entered the back door after closing with the assistance of an employee who left the back delivery door ajar, according to law enforcement. The now-former employee was also charged. The third co-conspirator brandished a firearm against an employee, then chased the victim out of the restaurant while McLaughlin emptied the safe.

The victim chased after the vehicle the armed offender rode away in and was able to see the license tag number; he immediately called 911 and relayed this information to emergency communications. Sgt. Schwarz with the Wilmington Police Department located this vehicle within 15 minutes and detained the driver who identified the suspects.

After robbing the McDonalds, McLaughlin was in Federal Custody out of state until December of 2021. McLaughlin was convicted of two armed robberies, one in Pennsylvania and one in New Jersey, during this time. The US Marshals Service transported McLaughlin back to New Hanover County in December 2021 to face these charges.

In 1993 McLaughlin had been convicted in New Hanover County of assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to kill inflicting serious injury and common law robbery for robbing a taxi driver with a knife and cutting the driver’s face requiring 25 stitches.

“This victim ran for his life and video surveillance showed that he barely got away. The jury’s verdicts have made communities across the US safer this week and we are so grateful for their service,” Assistant District Attorney Connie Jordan said.