Murder suspect pleads guilty to New Hanover Co. armed robbery charges

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A man wanted for killing a woman at a cockfight in New Jersey in 2014 was sentenced Thursday to a slew of felony charges that he committed in both Duplin and New Hanover Counties in 2015.

Samir Thomas, 25, entered no contest pleas to three counts of Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon, two counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, one count of Second-Degree Kidnapping and several other related offenses in front of the Honorable Kent Harrell.

He will serve nearly 6 years in a North Carolina prison, and officials believe he will ultimately be extradited to Essex County, New Jersey, to face the 2014 murder indictment.

On September 24, 2015, Thomas brandished a handgun and robbed a delivery driver in the
Target parking lot on New Centre Drive in Wilmington. Less than a month later, he robbed two men in the parking lot of a Walmart store in Wallace. Thomas attempted to take one of the victim’s trucks, but had problems leaving the scene due to a trailer that was attached to the vehicle. He then approached the second victim and stole his car.

Detectives in Duplin County received a tip and found the residence where the Thomas had been staying. Inside, they found several items related to the robberies. A witness was able to provide more information that shifted the investigation back to Wilmington. Detectives then located the stolen vehicle at an apartment complex and found additional evidence linking Thomas to the crimes inside one of the units. Thomas was found at a bar on Market Street, where officers engaged in a brief chase before taking him into custody.