Man gets 6-year prison term for robbing buyout recipient

A friend who knew of the buyout betrayed the victim.

YOUNGSTOWN — A city man charged in the robbery of a Campbell man who had just received a $140,000 buyout check from Delphi Corp., is going to prison for six years.

Court action concerning the other man involved in the robbery will be delayed pending a psychiatric evaluation.

Judge Maureen A. Sweeney of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court imposed the prison time Wednesday on Raul A. Irizarry, 30, of South Bruce Street.

But she ordered a psychiatric evaluation for his co-defendant, Joseph T. Wheeler, 43, of Funston Street, who asked to withdraw his guilty plea because he said he didn’t understand the plea agreement and has mental-health problems.

Rob Andrews, assistant county prosecutor, said Wheeler will remain jailed pending the outcome of the evaluation, which Andrews said normally takes four to six weeks to complete.

Irizarry and Wheeler pleaded guilty as charged July 9 to one count of aggravated robbery and three counts of kidnapping with firearm specifications to all counts.

When Irizarry and an unidentified man, later identified as Wheeler, appeared at the robbery victim’s door Sept. 22, 2006, the 37-year-old victim let them into his Penhale Avenue residence because he knew Irizarry as a friend, the victim told police.

Irizarry knew the Campbell man would be getting the Delphi check that morning, the victim said.

Wheeler drew a handgun, demanded money, threatened to shoot, took $5,000 in cash from the basement, and forced the robbery victim and another man and a woman into the basement, the victims told police.

Before fleeing in a minivan, the robbers also took two flat-screen TVs, police said. The gun was not fired, and there were no injuries.