WILMINGTON — A local man will spend up to a decade in prison after pleading guilty Tuesday to a string of violent and drug-related offenses committed over a four-month period last year.
Tobias Van Cooley, Jr., 39, entered a combination of guilty and Alford pleas to more than a dozen charges, including common-law robbery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession with intent to sell and deliver controlled substances within 1,000 feet of a park. Cooley will serve a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
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The charges stem from a series of incidents beginning on March 22, 2025, when Cooley and three others robbed an acquaintance outside the 7-Eleven located at 4615 Market St. Surveillance footage and a 911 call captured the group beating the victim and stealing cash while Cooley brandished a firearm and a woman used a stun gun. The cases against co-defendants Hannah Long and William Beck remain pending.
Three months later, on June 3, 2025, officers executed a search warrant at Cooley’s Red Cross Street residence following an assault-in-progress call. Investigators, who had prior reports of drug activity at the home, seized a handgun, methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and drug paraphernalia.
Though the District Attorney’s Office moved to increase Cooley’s bond following these arrests, the motion was denied. While out on bond, Cooley was arrested twice more — on June 13 and July 29 — after being found with drugs and drug paraphernalia during traffic stops. He attempted to flee on foot during both incidents but was apprehended.
As part of the plea agreement, Cooley also pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting a 2022 financial crime where he opened a checking account at a local credit union in his name for another man to fund with worthless checks.
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