Dierre Cotton pleads guilty to armed robbery counts
Dierre Cotton
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Dierre Cotton pleaded guilty to three counts of armed robbery with use of force in a Milwaukee County courtroom on Monday, February 25th.
Cotton and another man, Edyon Hibbler, are accused of walking into the Aldi store near 76th and Villard on the city’s north side in February 2012. Milwaukee police say Cotton came into the Aldi store armed with a shotgun, with the intent to rob the store, but he left empty-handed.
A customer in the store pulled out his weapon and shot Cotton. Cotton and Hibbler fled the store. Cotton suffered a gunshot wound to his leg and a graze wound on his head, so Hibbler drove him to St. Joseph’s Hospital for treatment.
When police questioned Cotton, the complaint says Cotton needed the money “to pay for school.” He told officers he used the gun in the robbery to scare people, and said it was not loaded.
If convicted, Cotton faces up to 40 years in prison and $100,000 in fines. A date for sentencing has yet to be set.
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