A Bridgeport man was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison Tuesday for committing two armed robberies that happened two weeks apart in 2022.

Derrick Rivera pleaded guilty to multiple charges in October 2025.

On Nov. 11, 2022, Rivera robbed a barbershop on Wood Avenue, taking money from an employee and two customers.

The second robbery happened on Nov. 25, 2022, at a restaurant located on Wade Street. During the incident, Rivera pointed a gun at the owner and demanded cash.

The U.S. Attorney's Office says that after he took the money, Rivera fired a gun twice in the direction of the owner and an employee. One of the bullets hit the digital display of the cash register.

The owner's face, eye, hand and stomach were injured by a shell casing and the shattered pieces of glass and plastic from the register. Officials say the trauma the owner experienced from the robbery and the shooting forced him to sell the restaurant.

Rivera has been detained since his arrest in November 2023.