Sopranos actor back in court

Iller said nothing as he left the Manhattan court house

Teenage Sopranos actor Robert Iler has returned to court following his arrest for alleged robbery.

No charges were indicted against the 16-year-old and two other teenagers but the judge ordered the boys to return on 18 July.

Accompanied by his mother, Iler, who plays Mafia boss Tony Soprano's son in the drama, said nothing during his time at the Manhattan court house.

Judge Judith Levitt said no grand jury action had been undertaken but this should have taken place by their next appearance.

Robert Iler: Back in court on 18 July

Michael Bachner, Iler's attorney, said he and lawyer Steven Mintz met with prosecutors and agreed that the case required "further investigation".

'Long process'

He said: "We are very confident that, at the end of the day, Robert will be exonerated.

"We'd like it all to go away quickly, but the process takes time," Mintz said.

Iler and three friends are accused of having robbed two teenage Brazilians for $40 (£28) outside a delicatessen in the Upper East Side of New York.

New York police said that Cournede, the eldest of the four, approached the victims and ordered them to hand over their money.

Robert Iler and co-star Jamie-Lynn Sigler

According to the criminal complaint, the other three suspects allegedly threatened the victims, saying: "Give us your money. Do you wanna die? Do you wanna die?"

Marijuana

Iler, charged with two counts of second-degree robbery and one count of possession of marijuana, pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing, and was released on bail of $2,500 (£1,782).

Michael Cournede and Alban Selimaj also pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree robbery.

Cournede was also charged with criminal possession of a weapon, having been carrying a box cutter when he was arrested.

The Sopranos creator David Chase released a statement which said: "Robert is a really great kid. I'd be proud to have him as my son."

"As it is, he's a friend and a colleague. If he says he didn't rob anybody, then he didn't. It's as simple as that for me," Chase said.