A New York man was sentenced to six years in prison Thursday for his role in a West Hartford jewelry store heist during which more than a half-million dollars worth of watches was stolen.

Shamell "Sha Sha" Rijfkogel, 25, of Brooklyn was sentenced in Superior Court after he pleaded guilty under the Alford doctrine to conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery. With Alford pleas, the defendant does not admit guilt, but acknowledges that the state has enough evidence to convict.

The robbery happened on June 25, 2010 at the Lux Bond & Green on Lasalle Road. Two men came into the store wearing masks and yelling for people to get on the floor, said prosecutor Richard Rubino. Using sledgehammers, they smashed display cases, stealing $583,000 worth of watches.

Police found the suspected getaway driver, John McCorkle, when they did a DNA test on a water bottle left behind in the getaway car. McCorkle told police that Rijfkogel recruited him to be the getaway driver. McCorkle was paid $300, Rubino said. McCorkle's charges are pending, according to court records.

Rijfkogel did not go in the store during the robbery, Judge Joan Alexander said.

Still, he made a bad decision by helping to plan the heist, he told the judge.