A Fort Dodge man will spend up to a decade in prison after pleading guilty to stealing about $3,000 from a local convenience store during a November 2021 robbery.

On Monday, Thomas Lee Boone, 34, was sentenced to two consecutive five-year sentences for the Nov. 15, 2021, armed robbery of the Star Convenience Clark Station at 115 N. 22nd St.

Boone was arrested on Dec. 1, 2021, for the robbery and charged with one count of first-degree robbery, a Class B felony; two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon, a Class D felony; and one count of trafficking in stolen weapons, a Class D felony.

After initially pleading not guilty to the charges in January 2022, Boone entered a plea of guilty to an amended count of second-degree theft, a Class D felony, and one of the firearm possession counts. Under the plea agreement, the state will dismiss the remaining two charges.

In the written plea agreement, Boone admitted that he “went into the Star Convenience Store and took approximately $3,000” and that he did not have the permission or authority to take the cash.

Law enforcement had been dispatched to the convenience store around 8:15 a.m. after the robbery was reported on Nov. 15, 2021. Store staff had reported that a male had entered the store and demanded money from the clerk. The suspect was able to leave with an undisclosed amount of cash, fleeing on foot before officers arrived.

Webster County District Court Judge Derek Johnson sentenced Boone to up to five years in prison for each charge, to be served consecutively for a total of up to 10 years in prison. Boone was also fined $1,025 for each charge, but the fine was suspended.

“The Webster County Attorney’s Office is pleased with the hard work law enforcement did on the case and is pleased with the outcome,” said Assistant Webster County Attorney Bailey Taylor.

Boone will also be given credit for time served during the course of the court proceedings.