Armed robbery suspect pleads guilty to 4 felonies

Published 6:50 am Wednesday, January 27, 2021

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A suspect in four armed robbery incidents that occurred in December has pleaded guilty to all charges.

Toby James Gogolewski, 19

, of Lyle has pleaded guilty to three counts of  felony first-degree aggravated robbery – possess dangerous weapon – and one count of felony aiding/abetting first-degree aggravated robbery – possess dangerous weapon – as part of a plea agreement on Monday in Mower County District Court.

Gogolewski was arrested on Dec. 11 as one of two suspects in the armed robbery of the Lyle Freeborn Co-op, which had been robbed several minutes before police pulled his vehicle over. Money and cigars were stolen during the robbery. Court documents state Gogolewski matched the description of the suspect who carried a 4-5” hunting knife during the robbery.

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Gogolewski was read a Miranda warning and agreed to speak to police. He admitted to being involved in the robbery of the Freeborn Co-op in Lyle and gave a detailed statement of the planning of the robbery and the events of the robbery that matched the events viewed on the surveillance camera. Stolen items were also located in the vehicle.

Gogolewski later provided details of his involvement in three prior armed robberies in Mower County: Apollo III gas station in Austin (Dec. 6), Dollar General in Austin (Dec. 8) and Corky’s Corner Convenience Store in Adams (Dec. 9). He told police that he carried a machete during the Dollar General robbery and held a knife to the clerk at Corky’s Corner as he took money from the register. He also told police he was the getaway driver in the Apollo III robbery, which he said was carried out by a juvenile male.

Gogolewski will be sentenced on June 24.