A Columbus man was sentenced to 23 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to armed robbery in Lowndes County Circuit Court Monday.
Antonio Burgin, 27, was charged with armed robbery after he attempted to rob an East Columbus convenience store in 2010.
Burgin, and alleged accomplice Quinton Erby, entered A&A Deli Food Mart at 227 N. McCrary Road and attempted to rob the cashier, Hussein Fadahl Alhajjaji.
Alhajjaji was shot during the incident. He then returned fire and shot Burgin in the face.
Burgin and Erby fled the scene but were apprehended when their get-away vehicle broke down.
Burgin was treated at University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.
He initially intended to plead not guilty to the charge, claiming the police arrested the wrong man for the crime. He blamed his gunshot wound on a separate incident that he claimed also occurred that evening.
Instead of going to trial, Burgin pleaded guilty to the armed robbery charge.
He was sentenced to serve 23 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections as well as five-years post-release supervision.
He was also charged with aggravated assault, but the charge was retired to the file as a part of his plea deal.
Burgin was also ordered to pay Alhajjaji for victim’s restitution.
Burgin has been arrested 14 times since 2001 on charges ranging from armed robbery to possesion of cocaine to grand larceny.
Sarah Fowler covered crime, education and community related events for The Dispatch.
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