Jeremy Lamar Hayes, 29, stormed into a Myrtle Beach dry cleaner on January 29, 2018, gun in hand, and barked demands for cash. He emptied the register, snatched the victim’s wallet and cell phone, and made off with the store phone—all under the glare of surveillance cameras. Less than 24 hours later, he returned for seconds, blasting into a local restaurant, waving the same firearm, forcing employees to the floor while he raided the register and stole another cell phone. The spree ended only after a high-speed chase through Horry County.
Federal justice caught up fast. Hayes was sentenced to 240 months—20 years—in federal prison by Chief U.S. District Judge R. Bryan Harwell in Florence, South Carolina. He’ll serve five additional years under court-ordered supervision after release. No parole. No second chances. Kennedy Boggs, 26, the woman behind the wheel, got 108 months—nine years—for her role as getaway driver and accomplice in the firearm charges. She too will face five years of federal supervision.
The evidence was damning. After the second robbery, Myrtle Beach Police spotted a vehicle matching the getaway car. Kennedy Boggs, driving, refused to stop. A pursuit ended with both suspects in custody. Inside the car: clothing matching Hayes’ robbery attire. At the restaurant scene: a fingerprint that tied Hayes directly to the crime. Boggs confessed—she’d driven Hayes to both jobs. She admitted the gun was tossed from the car during the chase. Law enforcement recovered the firearm days later.
Hayes pleaded guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act Robbery—federal charges because the thefts impacted interstate commerce—and two counts of Brandishing a Firearm during a Crime of Violence. Boggs copped to Conspiracy to Commit Hobbs Act Robbery and Aiding and Abetting the Brandishing of a Firearm during a Crime of Violence. No trial. No drama. Just a guilty plea and a long walk to prison.
The takedown was a joint effort: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Myrtle Beach Police, Surfside Beach Police, Horry County Police, and sheriff’s offices in Randolph and Guilford Counties, North Carolina, all converged on the case. It was prosecuted under Project CeaseFire, a federal crackdown on gun crimes, which operates under the broader umbrella of Project Safe Neighborhoods—a DOJ-backed initiative revived to halt the spike in violent crime across America.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Hummel, out of the Florence office, handled the prosecution. U.S. Attorney Sherri A. Lydon confirmed the sentencing, underscoring the federal commitment to dismantling violent crime rings before they escalate. For Hayes and Boggs, the cost of two robberies? Decades behind bars. In the grim arithmetic of justice, the numbers don’t lie.
RELATED: Myrtle Beach Bandits Hit Bank, Face Life Sentence
Related Federal Cases
- 13 Years for String of Armed Robberies: Daquan Hampton Sentenced · North Carolina
- Daquan Hampton: 13 Years for Charlotte Armed Robberies · North Carolina
- Armed Jewelry Thief Charged in Interstate Heist · North Carolina
- Armed Jewelry Theft Suspect Charged in Florida · North Carolina
- Career Crook Sentenced to 15 Years for Armed Robbery · North Carolina
Key Facts
- State: South Carolina
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Violent CrimeViolent CrimeViolent CrimeViolent Crime