Pennsylvania man gets 7 years for armed gas station robbery in Wallkill

A Pennsylvania man who held up a Town of Wallkill Sunoco with what looked like a pistol was sentenced Friday to seven years in prison, a punishment Orange County officials say fits the fear the robbery created for an overnight cashier.

Connor Derrick, 21, of Archbald, Pennsylvania, also received five years of post-release supervision in Orange County Court after pleading guilty to robbery in the second degree. Prosecutors said Derrick was 20 when he walked into the station at 2 Ben Gilman Way on Aug. 14, 2025, at about 6:15 a.m.

State police said Derrick first went into the restroom, then selected a drink and food before approaching the cashier. He then displayed what appeared to be a pistol and demanded money from the register. He fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of currency and was arrested the same day nearby.

Police later determined the weapon was a BB gun, but investigators and prosecutors treated the case as a serious armed robbery because the cashier had no way to know that in the moment. Derrick was also charged as a fugitive from justice because of an outstanding warrant in Pennsylvania.

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler said violent crime that endangers community members will be met with significant punishment. The sentence, he said, reflects the county’s view that people deserve to feel safe in their places of business, especially in stores where workers are often alone in the early morning hours.

The case also highlights how quickly a routine stop at a neighborhood gas station can turn into a crime scene. In Orange County, places like Sunoco stations and convenience stores are among the most vulnerable businesses because they draw strangers at odd hours, often before sunrise or late at night, when staffing is thin and help may be a few minutes away.

The response in Wallkill involved state police, the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation at Middletown, the Town of Wallkill Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Derrick’s prison term closes the case in court, but officials say the message is meant to reach beyond one store on Ben Gilman Way: intimidation aimed at local workers will bring real consequences.