Worcester man receives life sentence for home invasion

A Worcester man was sentenced to life in prison Friday for a 2022 Fitchburg home invasion, prosecutors said.

Concepcion Rodriguez, 39, was sentenced to life in prison for home invasion. He received additional prison time for eight other charges, the office of Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early said in a press release.

Rodriguez was convicted as a repeated offender, the DA said.

Rodriguez was found guilty of home invasion, two counts of armed assault with attempt to murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm while committing a felony, possession of a firearm outside work or home, two counts of larceny less than $1200, and possession of ammunition without an FID card, the release said.

A charge of possession of a loaded firearm was dismissed, prosecutors said.

Rodriguez was accused of breaking into a Fitchburg apartment in March 2022, while searching for someone who did not live in the home. He fired his gun inside the apartment and stole items before fleeing the scene, prosecutors said.

One person was inside the home during the robbery. They were uninjured, Early’s office said.

“It is our position Mr. Rodriguez was wrongfully convicted and sentenced as a habitual criminal. The law requires the defendant shall be warned of potential habitual criminal penalties at the time of sentencing for the qualifying offenses, and this warning was not given on either occasion. Furthermore, the habitual criminal penalty is draconian and violates the defendants eighth amendment rights,” Rodriguez’s attorney, Kevin Larson, said.

Larson plans on filing an appeal for the “underlying convictions,” he said.

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