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Berry Pleads Guilty to Armed Robberies
ABINGDON, VIRGINIA – Joshua Robert Berry, 32, of Bluewell, Virginia, has pleaded guilty to a series of armed robberies that ended with the killing of a store clerk in Mr. Airy, North Carolina in 2012.
Berry, along with co-defendants Emmanuel William Foster, 27, and Sarah Looney Berry, 28, both of Bluewell, Virginia, went on an armed robbery spree in Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina from April to May 2012. The crime spree included the robbery of the Marquee Cinema in Wytheville, Virginia, on April 29, 2012, where Berry and Foster carried firearms and made off with $4,317.
The defendants also robbed the Abingdon Cinemall on May 21, 2012, making approximately $200 in cash. The spree culminated in a fatal shooting at a store in Mr. Airy, North Carolina, on May 25, 2012.
According to evidence presented in court, Berry and Foster wore black hoodies, bandanas, and full-face masks during the robberies, and carried guns. Video surveillance showed a dark-colored sedan and a pick-up truck waiting outside the crime scenes, which were driven by Sarah Berry.
United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. praised the law enforcement efforts in bringing the defendants to justice, saying, ‘These individuals took part in a crime spree that ultimately robbed a man of his life. For nearly a month, a community was terrorized as these defendants committed armed robbery after armed robbery.’
Berry pleaded guilty to two counts of armed robbery, two counts of brandishing a firearm during those armed robberies, one count of conspiring to commit armed robbery, and one count of using a firearm in the commission of an armed robbery that resulted in the death of another person. Berry faces a potential life sentence for his crimes.
The guilty plea brings to an end a highly publicized case that spanned several months and multiple states. The community can now begin to heal from the trauma caused by the defendants’ actions.
Berry is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date.
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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