Wilmington Man Sentenced to Decades in Prison Following Guilty Plea for Robbery and Drug Distribution

Tobias Van Cooley Jr. receives a 10 year prison sentence in Wilmington for a 2025 robbery and multiple drug offenses. Read the full case details here.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 11, 2026, 4:37 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from WECT

Judicial Conclusion for Local Crime Spree

A significant criminal case in New Hanover County reached its resolution on Tuesday as Tobias Van Cooley Jr. entered a guilty plea to more than a dozen separate offenses. The 39 year old Wilmington resident appeared before the court to answer for a string of crimes that occurred over a four month period in 2025, alongside older financial charges. The resulting sentence, which could see Cooley serve up to a decade in state prison, marks the end of a complex prosecution involving violent theft, illegal firearm possession, and the distribution of dangerous narcotics.

The Market Street Convenience Store Robbery

The most prominent incident in the prosecution’s case involved a violent robbery that took place on March 22, 2025, outside a 7-Eleven on Market Street. According to evidence provided by the District Attorney, Cooley and three accomplices targeted an acquaintance in a coordinated attack. During the encounter, Cooley reportedly brandished a firearm while a female co-defendant used a stun gun on the victim. The group beat the individual and fled with a sum of cash, an act that was captured by both surveillance cameras and a recorded emergency call to 911 dispatchers.

Narcotics Discovery and Residence Search

Law enforcement operations shifted focus to Cooley’s residence on Red Cross Street in early June 2025. During a court authorized search of the property, investigators uncovered a significant cache of illegal substances including fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine. Officers also recovered a handgun and various pieces of drug paraphernalia, leading to additional charges for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. These discoveries underscored the suspect’s involvement in local drug trafficking networks and added substantial weight to the eventual plea negotiations.