Altise Shaheed Bridges, Train Robbery, North Carolina 2012

GREENSBORO, N.C. – On April 29, 2012, a Norfolk Southern train traveling from Columbia, South Carolina, to Asheville, North Carolina, was robbed by two masked men carrying firearms at the station in Salisbury for a crew change. The men, dressed in black and wearing masks, climbed aboard the train and entered the engine car where they brandished a shotgun and a revolver, demanding money from the train engineer and conductor. The robbers took cash and a wallet from the victims before fleeing the scene.

Subsequent investigation determined that Altise Shaheed Bridges, 25, of China Grove, North Carolina, and William James Johnson, Jr., 20, of Salisbury, North Carolina, were the men responsible for the robbery. Bridges and Johnson pleaded guilty to train robbery on December 11, 2013. Kenyad Laquan Kelly, 19, of Salisbury, North Carolina, also pleaded guilty, but to a lesser charge of accessory after the fact to train robbery on December 3, 2013.

The guilty pleas were accepted by United States District Judge Catherine C. Eagles. Bridges and Johnson face a maximum punishment of twenty years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Kelly faces a maximum punishment of ten years imprisonment, a $125,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.

Sentencing for Bridges and Johnson is set for March 25, 2014, while Kelly’s sentencing is scheduled for March 19, 2014. The case was investigated by the Salisbury Police Department, the Norfolk Southern Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry Meinecke.

The investigation and subsequent arrests were the result of a thorough and coordinated effort by law enforcement agencies in the region. The Salisbury Police Department was instrumental in gathering evidence and identifying the suspects, while the Norfolk Southern Police Department and the FBI provided critical support in the investigation.

The guilty pleas bring a sense of closure to the victims of the train robbery and demonstrate the commitment of law enforcement agencies to holding perpetrators accountable for their crimes. The outcome serves as a reminder that train robbery is a serious crime with severe consequences.

Defendant: Altise Shaheed Bridges, William James Johnson, Jr., and Kenyad Laquan Kelly

Criminal Charges: Train Robbery, Accessory After the Fact to Train Robbery

City and State: Salisbury, North Carolina

Exact Date: April 29, 2012 (crime date), December 11, 2013 (Bridges’ guilty plea), December 3, 2013 (Kelly’s guilty plea)

Sentence or Outcome: Bridges and Johnson face a maximum of 20 years imprisonment, $250,000 fine, and 3 years supervised release. Kelly faces a maximum of 10 years imprisonment, $125,000 fine, and 3 years supervised release.

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