Grandview Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robberies
Troy Wright, 23, of Grandview, Mo., pleaded guilty to his role in a conspiracy to commit a series of armed robberies against victims who were contacted via craigslist, which culminated in the shooting of two victims.
Wright pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, six counts of aiding and abetting a robbery and one count of aiding and abetting the discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.
The robberies occurred after Wright and his co-conspirators posted false advertisements to buy or sell items on craigslist.org in order to entice their victims to meet so that conspirators could steal money and electronics.
Wright also admitted that he was involved in the shooting of two of their victims during their final armed robbery on July 16, 2013. On the evening of July 16, 2014, Wright and his co-defendants robbed and shot two victims near 5500 E. 84th Terrace, Kansas City, Mo.
The victims, identified as M.N. and M.K.N., had agreed to look at a Hyundai Sonata that was listed for sale in a craigslist advertisement. They were shot multiple times by Wright and his co-conspirator, who then took money and personal property from the victims.
Co-defendant Debvon Buckner, 25, of Kansas City, Mo., has also pleaded guilty to his role in the armed robbery conspiracy, five counts of aiding and abetting the robberies and one count of aiding and abetting the discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Buckner was the primary point of contact with the victims and made initial contact with them, while his co-conspirators robbed them at gunpoint.
On July 3, 2014, another victim was robbed while trying to buy an XBOX from a craigslist advertisement. The victim met Buckner at Ridge Pointe Apartments after he had agreed to give him $160 and a Samsung Galaxy watch to buy the XBOX.
Buckner refused to make the trade after examining the watch. When the victim began walking back to his car, Wright approached, pointed a gun at him and demanded the cash and watch. After taking the cash and watch from the victim, Wright and his co-conspirator fled from the area.
Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced Wright’s guilty plea.
Wright faces up to 20 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release of up to 5 years.
Wright’s sentencing is set for a later date.
Related Federal Cases
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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