CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A brazen string of armed robberies across Charlotte has landed Andrew Marquis Jackson, 32, in federal custody and facing a potential life sentence. Jackson was found guilty today on multiple counts stemming from heists targeting a Dunkin’, a 7-Eleven, and a Family Dollar in January and February of 2023, according to U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina.
The evidence presented at trial painted a picture of calculated violence. On January 24th, Jackson and his crew stormed a Dunkin’ Donuts on Beatties Ford Road. Witnesses testified that Jackson immediately demanded cash, then fired a shot into the ceiling to intimidate employees. Co-conspirator Messiah Lynn Blair jumped the counter to ransack the back office while Jackson held an employee at gunpoint, all while Joshuan Jon’tavious Blount waited in the getaway car. The crew made off with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Just three days later, on January 27th, Jackson upped the ante at a 7-Eleven on Brookshire Blvd. Entering the store, he again opened fire into the ceiling with a handgun, before leveling a weapon at a terrified store employee and demanding all the money from the register. Blount, chillingly, was already inside the store pretending to be a customer during the robbery, providing cover and assisting in the theft.
The final robbery in the series occurred on February 1st at a Family Dollar on Beatties Ford Road. This time, Blount scouted the location first, assessing the number of people inside. Jackson and Blair then entered, brandishing firearms and demanding money from both the register and the safe. They cleaned out the cash drawers before fleeing the scene, leaving employees shaken and traumatized.
Jackson now faces up to 20 years in prison for each of the three counts of Hobbs Act robbery and conspiracy to commit those robberies. The charges related to possessing, brandishing, and discharging firearms during the crimes carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. Due to the severity of the crimes and the use of weapons, Jackson is facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 27 years. A sentencing date has yet to be announced.
U.S. Attorney Ferguson praised the collaborative investigation led by the FBI’s Charlotte field office, headed by Special Agent in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr., and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) under Chief Johnny Jennings. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kelly is handling the prosecution. This conviction sends a clear message: armed robbery won’t be tolerated in Charlotte, and those who endanger the public will face the full force of federal law.
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Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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