Corey Wayne Smith, 31, of Modesto, was convicted and sentenced Tuesday in two separate robbery cases arising from crimes at the Ceres and Riverbank Home Depot stores.

As part of a plea agreement, Smith pled no contest before Judge Thomas Zeff to two counts of robbery and admitted using a deadly weapon in Ceres and Riverbank. Smith was then handed a four-year state prison sentence.

Deputy District Attorney Patrick Hogan detailed that on July 29, Smith took over $2,700 worth of items from the Home Depot in Ceres. Smith was confronted by a loss prevention officer who recognized him from previous thefts at that store. To avoid arrest Smith swung an axe at him and fled the area with the stolen goods.

Smith committed a second Home Depot robbery on Sept. 18 in Riverbank. When an employee tried to stop him, Smith pulled out a knife, made a threat and ran from the store. Stanislaus Sheriff’s deputies later found Smith and made the arrest. In his car was stolen property from Home Depot worth several thousand dollars.

Smith was connected to several other crimes, including a July theft at the Riverbank store and a robbery at the Turlock Home Depot.

The robbery charges are considered ‘violent” felonies so Smith should have to serve a minimum of 85 percent of his sentence in state prison before being paroled.