Jermaine Cannon, Gunpoint Robbery & Firearm Offenses, Connecticut 2021

Gunpoint Robberies Rock New Haven Business

A New Haven convenience store was the target of two gunpoint robberies in November 2021, leaving customers shaken and authorities on high alert. The incident has led to the indictment of Jermaine Cannon, a 19-year-old New Haven man, on charges of interference with commerce by robbery and carrying, using and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

According to the indictment, Cannon allegedly robbed Howard Mini Mart & Deli, located on Howard Avenue in New Haven, on November 10 and 11, 2021. The indictment alleges that Cannon brandished a firearm during the robberies, putting the lives of employees and customers at risk.

The indictment charges Cannon with two counts of interference with commerce by robbery, an offense that carries a maximum term imprisonment of 20 years, and two counts of carrying, using and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, an offense that carries mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of at least seven years.

U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt and that charges are only allegations. Cannon has been detained since his arrest on state charges on November 11, 2021, and will appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport on June 24, 2022, to enter a plea.

The investigation into the gunpoint robberies is being led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the New Haven Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel J. Gentile and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis are prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime through community-based solutions.

Defendant: Jermaine Cannon

Criminal Charges: Interference with commerce by robbery (2 counts), carrying, using and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence (2 counts)

City and State: New Haven, Connecticut

Exact Date: November 10 and 11, 2021

Sentence or Outcome: Currently detained, awaiting plea hearing

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