Jermaine Tyrell Patton Indicted in Two Topeka Armed Robberies

Jermaine Tyrell Patton, 28, of Topeka, Kan., is facing federal charges in a pair of violent armed robberies that terrorized convenience stores in late 2016 — one of which ended with a Topeka police detective bleeding from a gunshot wound. A federal grand jury returned the indictment Wednesday, charging Patton with two counts of aiding and abetting commercial robbery and two counts of aiding and abetting the brandishing of a firearm during a robbery.

The first incident occurred Oct. 31, 2016, at Goose Express, located at 2901 S.E. Freemont. According to the indictment, Patton played a key role in the armed heist, helping to plan or execute the robbery that left employees shaken and the business violated. Less than a week later, on Nov. 5, 2016, a second robbery unfolded at Oakmart Convenience Store, 2518 N.E. Seward — this time, with deadly consequences.

During the second robbery, co-suspect Christopher Curtis Harris, 29, Topeka, allegedly shot Topeka Police Detective Brian Hill as Hill attempted to apprehend him. Harris has since been charged in Shawnee County District Court for the shooting. Patton was arrested alongside Harris following a swift law enforcement response. Both men now face serious consequences as federal and local agencies close in.

If convicted, Patton faces a penalty of not less than seven years in federal prison on each of the firearm counts and up to 20 years on each of the robbery counts. The charges carry no parole in the federal system, meaning every year sentenced is a year served. The Topeka Police Department and the FBI jointly investigated the string of violent crimes, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag leading the prosecution.

The indictments also targeted five other individuals on separate but equally serious charges. Michael J. Skladzien, 53, owner of S&S Floor Maintenance in Wichita, is accused of failing to pay over $250,000 in taxes withheld from employee wages between 2010 and 2013. He faces up to five years per count and a $250,000 fine on each of 11 counts. Patrick A. Scott, 32, and Quaton A. Grover, 38, both of Topeka, were charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, with Scott also in possession of a sawed-off shotgun. Both face up to 10 years per count.

Additionally, Alvin Acevedo, 27, and Yesena Collazo, 31, were charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin following a Nov. 14, 2016, arrest in Geary County. If convicted, they face not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million. The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation, with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Skipper Jacobs prosecuting. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The indictments represent the culmination of multi-agency efforts to dismantle criminal activity across Kansas.