Tyrell Anthony James, Armed Robbery, UT 2016

Gunfire shattered the quiet of a West Valley City CVS on September 10, 2016, when a masked man opened fire in the direction of an employee during a robbery—one brutal moment in a violent crime spree that has now landed four Salt Lake City men in federal court. Tyrell Anthony James, 23; Damon Keith Grigsby, 19; Isaiah Alexander Jones, 19; and Tristan Melchizadek Walker, 20—all residents of Salt Lake City—were indicted last week on multiple federal counts tied to a string of armed robberies across the Salt Lake Valley that month.

The indictment, returned by a federal grand jury, charges the men under the federal Hobbs Act with three robberies on September 10 alone. That day, James, Grigsby, and Jones allegedly hit a 7-Eleven at 510 East 1300 South in Salt Lake City. Later, all four—James, Grigsby, Jones, and Walker—raided a Subway at 3197 South Redwood Road in West Valley City. James and Grigsby are further accused of robbing a CVS Pharmacy at 3148 West 3500 South, where a shot was fired—escalating their firearm charge to include discharging a weapon during a crime of violence.

James is charged with using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during the 7-Eleven robbery. He and Grigsby face identical firearm charges for both the Subway and CVS heists. The indictment also details three additional robberies on September 12: a 7-Eleven at 1692 West North Temple in Salt Lake City, the Nike Factory Store at 3736 West Center Park Drive in West Jordan, and the Maverick store at 514 West 3900 South in South Salt Lake City—each allegedly committed by James and Grigsby while armed with a silver handgun.

On top of the violent crime charges, James is separately charged with possession of a firearm after a felony conviction—a federal offense that carries a 10-year sentence. Federal law bars anyone with a felony record from owning or possessing a gun. Prosecutors say the weapon used in the spree was the same silver handgun seen in surveillance footage from multiple crime scenes.

The case began to unravel after the first robbery, when a witness provided police with information about the suspects’ vehicle. That tip led investigators to track down the defendants, linking them through evidence and surveillance. The probe was led by FBI special agents, with critical support from local police in Salt Lake City, West Valley City, West Jordan, and South Salt Lake City.

If convicted, James faces a mandatory minimum of 130 years in federal prison—five years for the first firearm count, followed by 25 years each for the next five counts, all to run consecutively. Grigsby faces 105 mandatory years under the same sentencing structure, charged as an aider and abettor. Jones and Walker, not charged in any firearm counts, each face up to 20 years per robbery. Jones is tied to two robberies, Walker to one. The men are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Their initial appearances are scheduled for Wednesday at 1 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin B. Pead.