Philly man gets prison for botched attempt to rob stash house that didn’t exist

A Philadelphia man who was on his way to rob what he believed was a drug stash house in New York but was arrested at a New Jersey Turnpike service plaza after his SUV broke down was sentenced Friday to five years in prison, prosecutors said.

Luis Almonte, 37, and Jorge Oviedo-Difo, 30, also of Philadelphia, were found guilty by a Middlesex County jury in June on charges of illegal possession of a handgun, a large capacity ammunition magazine, and bullets that can penetrate body armor. Oviedo-Difo, who was tried in absentia and remains a fugitive, additionally was found guilty of heroin possession.

Investigators identified Almonte and Oviedo-Difo as members of a burglary ring. Officials said a confidential informant convinced the two defendants that there was a stash house full of drugs and cash in New York that could be heisted. The stash house, however, was part of a sting operation.

On Jan. 20, 2016, the pair were driving to the stash house when their SUV broke down at the Grover Cleveland Service Plaza in Woodbridge. New Jersey State Police, acting on information from the sting investigators, arrested the men. In the backseat of the SUV, troopers found black ski masks, a black hooded sweatshirt, plastic zip ties, duct tape, and various burglary tools. Troopers also found a 9mm handgun loaded with hollow-point bullets hidden in a sock. Oviedo-Difo also was carrying a small amount of heroin.