Josue Cano-Morales, Armed Robbery, Virginia 2024

A Henrico man has pleaded guilty to two armed robberies that took place in Richmond, Virginia.

Josue Cano-Morales, 19, entered a Lucky Mart on Staples Mill Road and walked around the counter, brandishing a handgun and demanding money from the clerk. The clerk handed over money from the register, but Cano-Morales demanded more and forced the clerk at gunpoint to go to the back office. Cano-Morales took money from desk drawers, stole a Snickers candy bar, and fled on a bicycle.

Cano-Morales then proceeded to a nearby Smokers World store, where he entered holding a handgun and a backpack. He demanded money from the register and forced the clerk to the backroom, where he took more money. Cano-Morales also stole several vapes from a display before attempting to flee through the back door. However, the door was locked, and he was forced to flee through the front door.

Henrico County Police officers responding to the Lucky Mart robbery spotted Cano-Morales’ bicycle at a nearby shopping center. They saw Cano-Morales leaving Smokers World and immediately fled on foot, but were quickly apprehended in a parking lot.

Cano-Morales is scheduled to be sentenced on October 11 and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for robbery. He also faces seven years to life in prison for using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The actual sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case was investigated by the Henrico County Police Division and the FBI’s Richmond Field Office. U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber, Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, and Eric D. English, Chief of Henrico County Police Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge David J. Novak accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Anthony is prosecuting the case.

A copy of the press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-44.

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