Two plead guilty to killing store clerk

Two North Philadelphia men pleaded guilty Monday to third-degree murder and related charges in the 2011 slaying of an Egyptian immigrant during a botched robbery of his Northern Liberties convenience store.

Quasheam Richburg, 22, and Marvell Hargrove, 19, pleaded guilty before Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Linda Carpenter on what was to have been the first day of their trial in the killing of Moustafa H. Shaker, 50.

Richburg admitted shooting Shaker in the face with a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun during Shaker's overnight shift at the Trax Food Store under the Market-Frankford Line Girard Avenue station.

Richburg, the gunman, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, conspiracy, robbery, and two firearm counts in a deal negotiated with Assistant District Attorney Deborah Watson-Stokes that includes a 30- to 60-year prison term.

Hargrove, the accomplice, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, robbery, and conspiracy and was sentenced to 20 to 40 years in prison.

Both would have faced life without parole had they gone to trial and been convicted of first- or second-degree murder.

"I'm sorry for my actions," Richburg told Carpenter. "And I want to say I'm sorry to my family."

Hargrove, 17 at the time of the robbery, apologized to the victim's family.

None of Shaker's relatives was in court.

Richburg's attorney, David Rudenstein, told Carpenter he would file a motion asking that Richburg be allowed to remain in custody in Philadelphia to complete cancer treatment at Hahnemann University Hospital. Richburg was found 11 months ago to have throat cancer that has spread to his liver, Rudenstein said.

Hargrove's lawyer, F. Michael Medway, asked Carpenter to order a prison psychiatric evaluation for Hargrove because of his youth and because he had never been arrested before the Shaker killing.