Man who robbed dollar store employee of $10 lunch bag gets 5 years

Kerwin L. Matthews, 53, of Gloucester City. (Salem County Correctional Facility)

WOODBURY -- A Gloucester City man was sentenced to five years in state prison Friday after admitting to robbing a dollar store employee at gunpoint, according to the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office.

Kerwin L. Matthews, 53, pleaded guilty to a second degree robbery charge in the May 28 holdup of an employee in the parking lot of a Family Dollar in West Deptford.

He approached the employee at closing time and took her lunch bag, which was valued at $10, prosecutors said.

Matthews was arrested the same day and has remained in Salem County Correctional Facility since his arrest.

A co-defendant, Melanie Thomas, 33, of Gloucester City, is charged with robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery in the incident.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.

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