Wilmington man sentenced to prison for 2012 robbery

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington man with an extensive criminal history will spend more than 15 years in prison for a 2012 armed robbery.

Desmond Simpson, 29, was sentenced today in federal court to 189 months behind bars followed by five years of supervised release. Simpson’s sentence comes after he was found guilty of robbery and carrying a firearm during a violent crime back in September 2014.

Simpson robbed a Papa John’s delivery driver and repeatedly beat him in the head with a handgun in 2012. Prosecutors say DNA from a pair of sunglasses Simpson left at the scene of the crime later connected him to the crime.

The investigation revealed that Simpson had called in an order to the pizza place and waited for the driver to arrive before robbing him. Records show Simpson took off from the scene after the robbery, but left behind a pair of sunglasses and shirt he was wearing during the crime.