A man who pleaded guilty to stealing $24,000 in deposit slips from a State College Uni-Mart in July will be sentenced today.

Ernesto Rivera faces one to two years in prison for the robbery at Uni-Mart, 1200 S. Atherton St., based on a negotiated agreement between his lawyer, Public Defender Deborah Lux, and Assistant District Attorney Lance Marshall.

Marshall will not be present for Rivera's sentencing. Assistant District Attorney Karen Kuebler will take his place. She would not comment on the sentencing until it has occurred.

Lux said Rivera's scheduled sentencing on the charge of receiving stolen property has been canceled because the prosecution did not want to pursue the charge.

According to court documents, while employed at the Uni-Mart, Rivera, 28, and Jose Urquiaga, 31, stole more than $24,000 in deposit slips from the store between July 22 and July 26. The morning of July 27, the two men staged a robbery to conceal the theft.

According to court documents, Rivera wore a mask, entered the Uni-Mart with a 15-inch crowbar and pretended to steal deposit slips to cover up the internal thefts. Rivera also stole the cash drawer, which contained $216 and was recovered later that night, the State College Police Department said at the time.

Rivera fled to the car driven by Urquiaga, and they returned to their Lamar residence with plans to flee the state, according to court documents. Urquiaga, a manager at the Uni-Mart, drove back to the store once the robbery was reported and viewed the surveillance videotape with police.

At about 9 p.m. July 27, a Fort Lee, N.J., police officer stopped Rivera, Urquiaga and another man for a traffic violation, and found a Uni-Mart deposit bag in the vehicle. The men said they were Uni-Mart employees. Fort Lee police called the Uni-Mart regional manager to check protocol for carrying deposit bags, and the regional manager requested that the men be arrested.

The State College Police Department was notified that the men were stopped and Rivera and Urquiaga were arrested and placed in a Fort Lee jail on $5,000 bail so a warrant could be issued.

State College police obtained a search warrant for Rivera and Urquiaga's residence, 4958 Nittany Valley Drive Apt. 1, and discovered "fruitful" evidence. The two men were held in New Jersey and later brought back to Pennsylania to face charges. The two men were charged with robbery, criminal conspiracy, theft, receiving stolen property, simple assault and harassment, according to police.

Rivera waived his preliminary hearing Sept. 14 and pleaded guilty Oct. 31. Both Rivera and Urquiaga are being held in Centre County prison.

Lux said that while there is a possibility Rivera would be asked to testify in Urquiaga's trial, it is not part of the agreement.

"It is conceivable under a subpoena," she said.