October 25-2013
An Iranian and an Iranian-American have pleaded guilty to robbing a woman at gunpoint in the parking lot of a shopping mall in Amherst, New York.
The Amherst District Attorney’s Office said 23-year-old Farhat Vahdat, of Amherst, who is an illegal alien from Iran, and 26-year-old Dominic Natarseh of Buffalo, who is a naturalized citizen, pleaded guilty to violent felony robbery.
Vahdat and Natarseh admit to robbing a woman who was getting into her car after a brief shopping trip to the mall March 15. The DA’s office said Vahdat pressed a loaded BB gun to the victim’s head, while Natarseh drove the getaway car.
A family spotted the victim crying, saw the suspects fleeing and followed them. The family called 911 and police responded, making an arrest in less than five minutes.
The DA’s office said Vahdat will be subject to mandatory deportation after he serves his sentence. Natarseh, as a naturalized citizen, will be allowed to stay in the United States following his sentence. Both men face up to 15 years in prison when sentenced.
Amherst is the largest and most populous suburb of Buffalo.
