Jesse Lockhart, Armed Robbery, VA 2024

Hampton, Va. — Jesse Lockhart, 24, walked into an Exxon gas station armed and left with stolen cigarettes, but his real downfall began when he dropped the loot. Today, Lockhart was sentenced to 176 months in federal prison for armed robbery and obstructing justice — a sentence that slammed the door on a scheme that stretched from the streets of Hampton to a federal courtroom and involved a law enforcement officer who should’ve known better.

On the day of the robbery, Lockhart brandished a firearm during the holdup, terrorizing the clerk before fleeing. But in his haste, he left behind a package of stolen cigarettes. Forensic technicians lifted a clear left palm print from the packaging — a piece of evidence that would later seal his fate. The store clerk identified Lockhart from a photo lineup, and federal prosecutors built a case that seemed airtight — until Lockhart and his associates decided to tamper with justice.

After his arrest, Lockhart conspired with his mother, Germekia Lockhart, 40, of Newport News, and his girlfriend, Tamara Washington, 34 — a deputy with the Newport News Sheriff’s Office — to fabricate evidence. The plan was cold and calculated: obtain a replica firearm, make it look real, and hand it over to federal agents as if it were the actual weapon used in the robbery. Germekia Lockhart provided Washington with a detailed description of the gun. Washington then bought a look-alike airsoft pistol online, modified it to appear functional, and delivered it to Lockhart’s mother.

Federal agents seized the fake firearm from Germekia Lockhart just weeks before trial — but suspicion was already mounting. Investigators reviewed recorded jailhouse calls between Lockhart, his mother, and Washington, catching them red-handed in their conspiracy. When confronted, the plot unraveled fast. The airsoft gun, meant to deceive, instead became evidence of a deeper crime: obstruction of justice.

U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen handed down 27-month prison sentences to both Tamara Washington and Germekia Lockhart for their roles in the scheme. Washington’s status as a sworn law enforcement officer added a layer of betrayal to the case. Meanwhile, Jesse Lockhart now faces over 14 years behind bars — not just for robbing a gas station, but for trying to subvert the entire justice system.

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy E. Cross. Tracy Doherty-McCormick, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, along with ATF Special Agent in Charge Thomas L. Chittum III, Hampton Police Chief Terry L. Sult, and Commonwealth Attorney Anton A. Bell, confirmed the sentencing. Court records, including Case No. 4:17-cr-2, are available via PACER and the Eastern District of Virginia’s public docket.