Prosecutors: Modesto man lied about needing help to commit home-invasion robbery

A 27-year-old Modesto man faces a maximum sentence of 32 years in prison for robbing a woman and her uncle who were held at gunpoint in their own home.

Darius Volaire Dollar has been convicted of two counts of home-invasion robbery, the Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office announced in a news release this week. After a three-day trial, a jury on Sept. 28 found Dollar guilty.

The home-invasion robbery occurred Aug. 24, 2015. About 4 a.m., Dollar went to the woman's Modesto apartment, where she lived with her uncle.

The defendant asked to use her phone, claiming he was stranded. She recognized Dollar, so she let him go inside the home.

A few minutes later, another suspect arrived at the front door, telling the woman's uncle he was there to pick up Dollar. Shortly after the other suspect was invited to come inside the apartment, the unidentified man brandished a gun.

Prosecutors said the woman and her uncle were locked in a bathroom, while Dollar and the other suspect ransacked the home. About $2,500 worth of the woman's belongings and $2,000 worth of her uncle’s belongings were stolen.

Dollar was later identified as one of the robbery suspects and arrested, according to prosecutors. He was free on bail from a previous arrest, when he committed the home-invasion robbery. The other robbery suspect was never identified.

The convicted defendant's charges are each considered strikes under the state's "Three Strikes" law. The strikes can be used to increase his prison sentence if he is convicted again of a felony. Prosecutors said Dollar has a previous robbery conviction and has served time in prison twice before.

Dollar is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 3. Deputy District Attorney Michael Houston prosecuted the case.

This story was originally published October 19, 2017 at 3:50 PM with the headline "Prosecutors: Modesto man lied about needing help to commit home-invasion robbery."