An Atmore man who was identified as the robber of Walnut Hill Piggly Wiggly and arrested Dec. 17, 2019 was sentenced Wednesday, July 8, to 10 years in prison, followed by 36 months of probation, in a Florida State Attorney's press release last Thursday.
Maurice Montraye Ervin, 26, was employed with Piggly Wiggly on Highway 97 on Oct. 29, 2019, when he stole more than $900 for one of the registers and fled the store when he was confronted by the manager.
Ervin returned to the same store Dec. 4, 2019 with a mask and firearm and robbed more than $6,000 from the store safe. When Ervin pointed the gun at the clerk and told her not to move, the clerk recognized the voice of the former employee.
Ervin was convicted of robbery armed with a firearm, aggravated assault and grand theft by Circuit Judge W. Joel Boles. Ervin will have to serve the 10 years in prison day for day with no reduction in the sentence.
Ervin did not have any criminal history prior to both these incidents. After serving the prison sentence, Ervin will be required to pay Piggly Wiggly restitution as a condition of his probation.
