Terence Tyree, Armed Robbery, Virginia 2017

A Greene County man has pleaded guilty to federal firearms charges in connection with a series of armed robberies across Albemarle and Greene counties.

Terence Tyree, 19, of Greene County, Va., entered his guilty plea to two counts of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence in U.S. District Court in Charlottesville. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on April 12, 2017.

Tyree was one of six individuals indicted last year in connection with the robberies, which occurred at local pizza chain restaurants, convenience stores, and a private residence. He is the second defendant directly involved in multiple robberies to plead guilty in federal court.

According to evidence presented in court, Tyree participated in a robbery of the Papa John’s Pizza on Seminole Trail in Greene County on June 9, 2016. Surveillance footage and victim testimony showed that Tyree and two other men, dressed in all black and carrying firearms, entered the store, displayed their weapons, and demanded cash.

Less than 10 days later, on June 17, 2016, Tyree and a co-defendant returned to the same Papa John’s Pizza and robbed it at gunpoint once again. In addition, Tyree admitted to participating in the robbery of Domino’s Pizza on Towncenter Lane in Albemarle County on June 27, 2016, in which he pointed a firearm at a store employee.

Tyree also admitted to participating in the robbery of a Domino’s Pizza on Ford Avenue in Greene County on July 7, 2016, in which he and another man entered the store, put on masks, and pointed guns at store employees. A witness reported that one of the co-defendants fired a single shot into the air as they fled the scene.

In a separate incident, Tyree and two co-defendants went to an Albemarle County home to commit an armed robbery on July 18, 2016. The victim was inside, alone, when he heard a loud explosion and saw three masked individuals, one of whom was armed with a pistol, enter his living room. The defendants ordered the victim to face the wall as they ransacked the house, and then struck him in the head and demanded that he get into the back seat of his Lexus vehicle.

Tyree’s co-defendant got out of the car and told the second victim, who was in the bank parking lot, to get as much money as he could and return to the car. Tyree and the other defendants then drove to a nearby ATM machine and used the victim’s card to withdraw cash.

Tyree’s guilty plea is the second in the case, following a guilty plea by co-defendant Kentavia Jones. Tyree’s sentencing is scheduled for April 12, 2017, and he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.

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