Robbery

North Carolina Student Jailed For Month After False Arrest

Published on: March 11, 2014 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Attorney J. Bradley Smith answering the question: “A past conviction is keeping me from finding work what can I do?”

A terrible recent story out of North Carolina seems to support the idea that no good deed goes unpunished. According to news reports, 20-year-old Lewis James Little, a sophomore at North Carolina Central University, spent nearly a month behind bars after reporting a crime to local police officers who wrongly concluded that he was involved in the matter.

The debacle began last summer when Little and a group of his friends from NCCU were getting together at another person’s home for an evening of hanging out. As they were walking into the house, Little and his friends spotted the body of a 25-year-old in the middle of the street.

Little says he and his friends were alarmed and while many wanted to call the cops, they were afraid at involving themselves in the matter. Little decided he needed to do the right thing and report the dead body, so he called the local police department.

Things started to go bad quickly after officers arrived on the scene when Little says he found himself facing intense questioning and was soon in handcuffs. Police say they thought he played a role in the break-in at a nearby home and that the robbery may have had something to do with the subsequent murder that left 25-year-old Michael Lee dead.

North Carolina Men Plead Guilty To Train Robbery :: Charlotte Criminal Lawyer

Published on: December 26, 2013 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Attorney J. Bradley Smith answering the question: “The person that called the police doesn’t want to press charges.”

Train robbery sounds like the kind of crime that went the way of the steam engine. Though times have changed and robberies are no longer being perpetrated on horseback, train robberies still take place and are taken quite seriously by law enforcement officials in North Carolina and elsewhere.

Train Charlotte DWI Lawyer North Carolina Criminal Attorney.jpg Keeping with the theme, it was announced this week that three men from Rowan County, NC pled guilty to a train robbery that occurred back in 2012 in Salisbury. The statement from the U.S. Attorney said that 25-year-old Altise Bridges, 20-year-old William Johnson, Jr., and 19-year-old Kenyad Kelly, all pled guilty to accessory after the fact to train robbery.

According to authorities, the incident began last April when two masked me carrying guns climbed aboard a Norfolk Southern train that was heading from Columbia, SC to Asheville, NC. The men boarded the train while it was stopped at a station in Salisbury for a required crew change. When the robbers entered the engine car of the train one of them brandished a shotgun while a second man waived a revolver.

Court documents say that the robbers then demanded money from the engineer of the train as well as the train’s conductor, taking cash and a wallet before fleeing the train. Investigators assigned to the case later determined that Bridges and Johnson had engaged in the robbery while Kelly was brought along to destroy and hide evidence, apparently unsuccessfully.

NC Woman Robs Bank After Giving Her Name And Account Information

Published on: December 24, 2013 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Attorney J. Bradley Smith answering the question: “If I simply intend to plead guilty, why do I need a lawyer?”

In a bizarre criminal law case out of Salisbury, North Carolina, police say one would-be bank robber made a series of mistakes that led to her being quickly apprehended. The woman, Tara Jean Vaughn, started off on the wrong foot by robbing the Wood Forest Bank branch inside a Wal-Mart where she has an account, meaning the workers were already familiar with Ms. Vaughn.

Cash in envelope Charlotte DWI Lawyer North Carolina Criminal Defense Attorney.jpg According to a police report, Vaughn arrived at the bank around 8:30 in the morning on Monday, but discovered the branch was not yet open. She then left the store and returned at around 5 p.m. Vaughn then approached a teller and asked him about getting a pack of starter checks. Vaughn then gave the teller her name and mentioned that she had an existing account with the bank.

After divulging such crucial identifying information, Vaughn then curiously chose to rob the branch, telling the bank employee that she had a gun and wanted his money. Vaughn was at least polite during the robbery, apologizing and explaining that she didn’t want to shoot the man. Vaughn then placed her purse on the counter and instructed the teller to fill the bag up with money from the cash drawer. The teller did place some money inside the purse, though police have not yet revealed how much Vaughn was able to get away with.

Police say that Vaughn then fled the store, but was arrested only a few hours later. She is now charged with armed robbery, despite never actually brandishing the weapon, and is being held on a $50,000 bond.

Tube Sock Theft Ring Busted By North Carolina Police :: Charlotte North Carolina DWI DUI Criminal Attorney Lawyer

Published on: October 29, 2013 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Attorney J. Bradley Smith answering the question: “If I simply intend to plead guilty, why do I need a lawyer?”

In a new and bizarre example of how some North Carolina criminals do the dumbest things, two men from Greensboro are in hot legal water after being charged with stealing an unusual item: tube socks.

Tube sock Charlotte DWI DUI Criminal Defense Attorney Lawyer.jpg According to the Winston-Salem Journal, the two sock thieves have been charged with stealing $50,000 worth of socks from HanesBrands Inc. The crime allegedly took place out of Hanes’ distribution center located in Kernersville.

Though it’s hard to imagine given that we’re talking about socks, authorities say the two men were caught up in a sting operation. Police had launched an investigation into reports of losses from the Hanes center in Kernersville, with reports of more than $2 million in merchandise going missing over the past two years.

Byron Kearney and his pal Henry Jackson have been charged with felony larceny and felony breaking and entering. The case was cracked thanks to help from the Hanes’ loss prevention department working in conjunction with the local Kernersville Police Department. Hanes installed surveillance cameras and caught the suspects late last month breaking into the facility.

According to a police report, a gate guard let the two men who were driving a large truck into the facility late one Saturday night. The two then began loading their truck with boxes of socks, eventually amassing a quantity large enough that the resale value came to around $50,000. Hanes contacted the police to let them know of the robbery and by a little after 1 a.m. the police had pulled the truck over near I-40 and put Kearney and Jackson in handcuffs.

Charlotte Police Crack Down On Crimes At Transit Center :: Charlotte North Carolina DWI DUI Criminal Attorney Lawyer

Published on: June 6, 2013 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Attorney J. Bradley Smith answering the question: “If I simply intend to plead guilty, why do I need a lawyer?”

A recent news report revealed that far too many crimes are occurring at the Charlotte CATS transit center. The bus station in Uptown has become something of a hangout destination for some unsavory groups, which has led to increasing incidents of crime. Now that the issue has been raised publicly, Charlotte-Mecklenburg PD says they will aggressively work to stamp it out.

Skyline Charlotte North Carolina DUI DWI Criminal Defense Attorney.jpg A spokesperson for the Central Division of CMPD says that officers will be working hard over the coming days and weeks to impress upon people that the bus station is for catching a bus and nothing more. The spokesperson said the department’s position is clear that those interested in loitering can go elsewhere to hang out.

CMPD Captain Mike Campagna said that after receiving reports of various criminal activities, the police approached Allied Barton, the private security company that CATS contracts out work to. The two organizations are launching a joint effort to put a stop to loitering at the bus terminal and, hopefully, the petty crime that results from all the loitering.

$80,000 Worth of Prescription Drugs Stolen From Gastonia, NC Pharmacy

Published on: January 29, 2013 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Attorney J. Bradley Smith answering the question: “Should I ever plead guilty to a charge?”

A pharmacy in Gastonia, NC was burglarized last week just an hour before the shop was due to close. Cameras on the premises of Akers Pharmacy show the man as he broke through the glass front door of the pharmacy. The whole episode was shockingly fast; he was in and out of the store in less than 60 seconds and his speed indicated that he knew exactly what he was after.

The police have revealed that $80,000 worth of prescription drugs were stolen in the heist. The prescription drug thief stole opioids, a major target of such robberies. Police say the man concentrated his robbery on hydrocodone and oxycodone, two especially powerful and especially addictive drugs. The lone robber was able to get away with more than half the store’s supply of both drugs, a major haul. Mortar and pestle.jpg

So far police have said that security cameras were able to capture several different images of the suspect and that they may have an idea of who he is. The investigation remains ongoing while all leads are explored.

Armed Robbery Gets North Carolina Man 176 Years Behind Bars

Published on: December 11, 2012 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

According to a recent article by WCNC, a federal judge has sentenced a Goldsboro, NC man to 176 years in prison for his role in multiple robberies that took place across several months in eastern North Carolina.

The U.S. Attorney’s office announced earlier this week that Domonic Devarrise Usher had also been ordered to pay $14,000 in restitution for his crimes. The massive sentenced followed a guilty verdict back in July on charges related to the robbery of several stores in small towns throughout the eastern portion of the state. Prosecutors say Usher and five others robbed businesses between November 2009 and March of 2010.

Razor wire.jpg Testimony presented at trial revealed that the robbers would enter stores wearing bandanas, gloves, hats and dark clothes to obscure their identities. One of the men would then point a gun at a clerk while the others grabbed the cash drawer from the register or safe, whichever was most easily accessed.

Though the 176-year sentence is quite long, the crime of robbery with a dangerous weapon is a very serious crime in North Carolina. The presence of a gun during a robbery and the resulting endangerment of a victim’s life increases by several magnitudes the severity of the punishment faced by defendants. North Carolina General Statutes § 14-87 states:

Masked Charlotte Man Accused of Gas Station Robberies

Published on: September 17, 2012 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

A recent report on WBTV.com sited a recent series of robberies perpetrated by a man wearing a Frankenstein mask. The alleged burglar wore the mask as he robbed four Charlotte, NC area gas stations. Police believe the same man is responsible for at least three other convenience store robberies in the last two weeks.

Eric Christopher Orr is accused of robbing all four gas station in less than two hours on his birthday. Police say an armed man entered four stores with a Frankenstein mask and demanded money from the cashiers. The gunman apparently followed a path down the Harris Boulevard corridor, as he struck about 3:20 a.m. at a convenience store on The Plaza near Harris Boulevard. Post #1 criminal image 9-14.jpg About 20 minutes later, he robbed a Kangaroo Express in the 7300 block of Albemarle Road, not far from Harris Boulevard again. The final robbery happened about 4:20 a.m., in the 7000 block of East W.T. Harris Boulevard. That is a short distance north of Hickory Grove Road.

He is also believed to be associated with the robbery on August 29, 2012 at the Kangaroo Express on West Sugar Creek Road, the Circle K robbery on September 4, 2012 at 7214 The Plaza and the robbery at the BP Station on September 5, 2012 at 8111 Bellhaven. Thankfully for everyone involved there were no injuries reported during any of the recent four robberies.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police spokesmen say that Orr is now behind bars after a search was conducted where the police publicized security camera footage of the robberies. Officers happened upon Orr accidentally, arresting him at first for driving a stolen car. Only later did they realize that he matched the description of the man accused of robbing the gas stations.

Charlotte Police Catch One Monitor-Removing Fugitive, Another Remains on the Loose

Published on: August 23, 2012 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

According to an article on WCNC.com, fifty-one year-old Keith Allen Murray was arrested Thursday morning on University City Boulevard after he removed his electronic monitoring bracelet over the weekend. He was found by police while they were searching for Eric Dwayne Jones, another fugitive that had removed his electronic monitoring device.

Until Sunday, Murray had been wearing the monitor since he was released from jail on April 12, 2012 when he posted bond. He had been arrested on charges of larceny and breaking and entering. Since his April 12, 2012 release date, Murray was arrested two additional times, including one of those times for assault charges. Post #1 criminal image 8.23.12.jpg He is currently being held in a Mecklenburg County jail.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police have said they are still looking for Eric Dwayne Jones, 28. According to police, Jones removed his electronic ankle monitor by cutting it off one evening in the middle of last week.

Jones was last seen near the intersection of Freedom Drive and Toddville Road. He was released on a $50,000 bond on May 1, 2012 and had been wearing the monitor since that time. Jones was arrested in the first place thanks to armed robbery-related charges, including three counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon. CMPD records show that Jones has 22 Mecklenburg County arrests in his past, including nine arrests within the past three years.

Recent arrest shows that North Carolina bank robbery doesn’t pay

Published on: August 11, 2012 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

According to a recent article on WCNC.com, one Charlotte man was recently arrested in connection with the robbery of a BB&T branch in south Charlotte. Investigators are saying that the man may be connected to as many as three other bank robberies that have occurred throughout the city this summer.

The man, Anthony Watson, was arrested without incident at the InTown Suites early this week by the Violent Criminals Apprehension Unit. Currently, Watson is only charged with the most recent armed robbery of the BB&T branch.

A spokesperson for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said that they are continuing to investigate the other three robberies and are treating Watson as a prime suspect in each one. Post #2 criminal image 8.11.12.jpg Police believe that Watson may also have robbed the SunTrust Bank on Galleria Boulevard back in June and then again in the middle of July as well as the BB&T branch on West Arbors Drive on July 30.

Turns out before embarking his bank-robbing spree, Watson should have stopped to consult with the economist at the Royal Statistical Society and American Statistical Association. The two groups recently published a study on the economics of bank robbery and determined the crime doesn’t pay off in the end.

The researchers looked at the average loot from a bank robbery in the U.K. over a three-year period and found it came to only $31,786. Maybe not terrible, but not much given the risk associated with the crime. The researchers went further; determining that there were on average 1.6 robbers involved in each heist, which meant the total per robber came to only $19,865.