Raleigh, North Carolina – A brazen daytime robbery at the ZMart convenience store in Oxford, North Carolina, left a victim shaken and a Maryland man facing a nine-year prison sentence.
On January 18, 2015, Bernard Singleton, 67, of Clinton, Maryland, and an accomplice entered the ZMart store, locked the door behind them, and pointed a firearm at the clerk while the accomplice punched the victim in the face.
Singleton approached the victim, who was on the ground, put the gun to the back of his head, and demanded money. The accomplice removed money from the cash register. Singleton forced the victim into the office and demanded money from the safe, which was on a 10-minute delay. While waiting for the safe to open, Singleton kept the gun pointed on the victim’s head.
Singleton and the accomplice removed the money from the safe. They also stole the victim’s wallet, which contained United States currency along with his credit cards and driver’s license. Singleton and the accomplice stole $9,100 in United States currency, which included several old coins, and cartons of cigarettes.
On November 12, 2015, Singleton pleaded guilty to the charge of Robbery of a Business Engaged in Interstate Commerce and Aiding and Abetting. United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced Singleton to 108 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
The case was part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, which encourages federal, state, and local agencies to cooperate in a unified ‘team effort’ against gun crime, targeting repeat offenders who continually plague their communities.
The investigation was conducted by the Oxford Police Department, Creedmoor Police Department, and the State Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney S. Katherine Burnette prosecuted the case for the government.
Defendant: Bernard Singleton, 67, of Clinton, Maryland
Criminal Charges: Robbery of a Business Engaged in Interstate Commerce and Aiding and Abetting
City and State: Oxford, North Carolina
Crime Date: January 18, 2015
Outcome: Sentenced to 108 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release
Dollar Amount: $9,100 in United States currency
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Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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