One of the ringleaders of a botched robbery at a Mount Vernon cannabis warehouse that left an employee and a robber dead has pleaded guilty, according to federal court records.
And the defendant accused of killing the employee is undergoing further psychiatric evaluations after a defense expert deemed him unfit to proceed in the case.
Ryan "Patron" Rivera pleaded guilty in federal court on Aug. 17 to Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy and firearms possession related to the March 19 heist at the warehouse on South Fifth Avenue.
Early that morning, as many as a dozen men, several with guns, exited a cargo van and forced customers and employees who were loading an order back into the warehouse. Once inside, an employee drew an AR-15 rifle from behind the counter
and fired, killing robber Romano Acosta. Moises Encarnacion and another robber allegedly returned fire, with shots Encarnacion fired killing employee Salem Rabadi.
The robbers fled empty handed. The warehouse contained more than 1,600 pounds of marijuana and 1,100 pounds of cannabis edibles.
According to court documents, a confidential informant and others identified Rivera as one of the ringleaders. Prosecutors contend that he scouted the warehouse in a dark Infiniti; briefed the robbers about the heist plan in the van; gave out the guns that were used; remained on the scene during the robbery; and returned 20 minutes after the robbery to a Bronx apartment building where meetings had been held planning the heist.
Rivera also allegedly held planning meetings at his Brooklyn car-repair shop. When he was arrested in late April 2024 outside his Brooklyn apartment building, he had just gone outside to a dark Infiniti and inside the apartment investigators found a black Champion sweatshirt and black boots that video surveillance showed he was wearing when he returned to the Bronx building shortly after the robbery.
Twelve men were arrested in the case. At least four others besides Rivera have pleaded guilty. Nazario Rolon was sentenced to 20 years in prison; Marco Tulio Fernandez Rodriguez to 15 years; and Ilario Contrerars to 14 years. Iberson Jimenez is awaiting sentencing.
The others accused of leading the robbery plot are Encarnacion and Cristian Meran, both of whom have pleaded not guilty.
Encarnacion was transferred last month to a federal detention center in Los Angeles to undergo an evaluation by a psychiatrist for the prosecution, according to court documents. A defense expert had previously deemed him unfit to proceed.
According to court documents, the defense has taken the position that Encarnacion's cognitive limitations meant he could not have played a leadership role in the heist.
Rivera's lawyers did not respond to requests for comment. He remains in custody to await sentencing, which is scheduled for Dec. 17 in U.S. District Court in White Plains.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: An alleged plotter of deadly Mount Vernon cannabis robbery pleads guilty
