An East Grand Forks man accused of robbing a series of local businesses has pleaded guilty to six holdups committed in Grand Forks.
A plea agreement calls for Kyle Pederson to serve 8½ years in prison and six years of supervised probation. The 24-year-old is set to be sentenced Oct. 6 in state District Court.
Prosecutor David Jones says Pederson, under the plea agreement, could be required to serve an additional 11½ years behind bars if he gets into more trouble.
"So he's got a pretty good incentive to put this behind him if he can," Jones said, adding that Pederson will have to pay restitution for what he stole.
Authorities said Pederson wore a mask and wielded a BB handgun while robbing clerks at a total of eight area businesses. Roughly $4,000 and more than 200 pain pills -- with an estimated street value in excess of $6,000 -- were taken during the holdups, the first of which occurred Dec. 9 and the last on Dec. 21. Officers arrested Pederson on Dec. 22 at a Grand Forks motel.
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In August, Judge Lawrence Jahnke rejected a request from Pederson's attorney, Public Defender Daniel Borgen, to throw out an interview in which, Grand Forks police said, Pederson admitted to committing the eight holdups.
Arguing that police violated Pederson's rights when they arrested him, Borgen had asked Jahnke to suppress any evidence gathered after that arrest, including the interview containing his alleged admission.
In connection with the same string of holdups, Pederson also faces a robbery charge in Polk County, Minn., for a stickup in East Grand Forks and another robbery charge in Traill County, N.D., for a heist in Mayville.
Pederson is slated to be extradited to Polk County once the Grand Forks County case is resolved. The Traill County case is set to go to trial Jan. 27.
The Polk County charge has a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $35,000 fine. The Traill County charge carries a maximum of 10 years in prison and $10,000 fine.
Pederson remains in custody at the Grand Forks County jail.
Ingersoll reports on crime and courts. Reach him at (701) 780-1269; (800) 477-6572, ext. 269; or send e-mail to aingersoll@gfherald.com .
