‘Inside Man’ Sentenced For Role in Rochester Armed Robbery

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - The “inside man” in a Rochester armed robbery has been sentenced to jail and probation.

Twenty-five-year-old Mohamed Aden Hassan earlier entered a guilty plea to a felony count of aiding an offender for working with two other men to rob his place of employment. Hassan was originally charged with first-degree aggravated robbery.

Robbery Viewed Through Surveillance Camera

According to the criminal complaint, Rochester police responded to a report of a robbery at the AT&T cell phone store near the Hy-Vee Crossroads location in May 2024. The crime was reported by a regional manager who witnessed it while viewing the store’s surveillance cameras.

READ MORE: Charges Filed Against Rochester AT&T Store Robbery Suspects

Armed with Knife

When officers arrived at the scene, the store manager told them he had been robbed by two men dressed in all black who had already left the business. He described hearing someone entering numbers on the keypad at the rear door of the building just before the two suspects approached him, with one of them holding a knife.

Ordered to Open Safe

The criminal complaint says the store manager told police he was then ordered into the bathroom, told to get on his knees, and hand over his phone. The charges state the robber with the knife held the blade in front of the manager’s mouth and ordered him to open the safe. The manager indicated he complied with the demand but also informed the robbers that the safe was equipped with a safety feature requiring a 10-minute waiting period before it would open.

Get our free mobile app

Coworker Reported Being Stabbed

The manager stated he was then able to lock himself in the safe room after the robbers began rummaging through a box of used and returned cell phones. He also told police that another employee, Hassan, was left alone with the robbers in the hallway and later entered the safe room, claiming he had been stabbed in the leg during the incident.

Earlier Thefts Linked Him to Robbery

The criminal complaint against Hassan says he was connected to the robbery after AT&T loss prevention contacted police to report that 12 phones had been stolen from the same store about a week earlier. The investigation found evidence that Hassan had worked with one of the robbery suspects to sell some of the phones.

Hassan has been ordered to serve a 90-day jail sentence and has been placed on probation for five years.

Robbers Pleaded Guilty

The two armed robbers were captured by Rochester police shortly after the robbery in the nearby parking lot of the Crossroads Shopping Center. Twenty-eight-year-old Ahmed Abdulqadir Ali and 23-year-old Bilal Ali Hilowle both admitted to first-degree aggravated robbery charges in the case. Hilowle is already serving a 50-month prison sentence, while Ali is scheduled to be sentenced next month.

More Minnesota News:

• Wanted Man & Woman Who Helped Him Flee Captured by RPD
• Charges: Rochester Man Stole $7k in Checks from Local Caterer
• 25½-Year Sentence in Minnesota Suburban Murder Case