Mason City man accused of convenience store robbery pleads not guilty

MASON CITY — A Mason City man accused of a convenience store robbery earlier this month has pleaded not guilty.

39-year-old Pierre Dunson is accused of entering the YesWay store in the 1300 block of 4th Southwest at about 5 o’clock on the evening of August 7th, where he allegedly grabbed the store clerk from behind and choked the clerk. Dunson then ordered the clerk to give him money out of the cash register, threatened the clerk with death if the robbery was reported, and left with more than $300.

Dunson was charged with first-degree robbery, a Class B felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison. He filed a written plea of not guilty this week in Cerro Gordo County District Court, with Judge Rustin Davenport scheduling his trial for September 20th.