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Four charged following robbery
Four charged following robbery
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Four Milwaukee men are facing a felony charge of armed robbery for allegedly robbing the Villager Food Mart located at 67th and Morgan Ave. on January 4th. The United States Attorney's Office is also pursing federal charges in connection with eight other convenience store robberies that occurred throughout Milwaukee County since October 26, 2012.
19-year-old Thomas Henderson, 23-year-old Jamere Towns, 18-year-old Damonick Kemp and 18-year-old Wesly Cooper are being charged with armed robbery. If convicted, they could be fined up to $100,000 in fines and face up to 40 years in prison.
According to police, three masked men entered Villager Food Mart around 7:05 p.m. January 4th. Officials say the first man to enter the store was holding a rifle with a scope.The store's owner, an employee and a female customer were forced to get down on the floor -- where each had their hands restrained with plastic zip ties.
According to the criminal complaint, the suspects took a large amount of cash from the owner's pockets and a smaller amount from the register. Numerous cartons of cigarettes, bus tickets, lighters and other property was also taken along with the female customer's purse.
Following the robbery, the owner was able to free his hands from the zip tie and called 911 -- providing a description of the robbers and their get-away car.
Minutes after the robbery, a West Allis officer observed the four suspects in a silver Nissan. According to the criminal complaint, West Allis, Greenfield and the FBI all responded to the ensuing traffic stop. Police say following the stop all four men attempted to the flee the scene on foot.
Authorities say the robbery of Villager Food Mart is one of nine convenience store robberies that has occurred since October 29, 2012. According to the criminal complaint, six different law enforcement agencies have been investigating this series of convenience store robberies, which has occurred throughout Milwaukee County.
Police say the nine robberies occurred on October 26th, November 14th, November 28th, December 10th, December 20th, December 23rd, December 28th, December 29th and January 4th.
Police say all nine robberies were recorded by surveillance cameras and all involved the use of a rifle with a scope. According to the criminal complaint, during one the robberies a shot was fired into the ceiling and during others victims were pepper-sprayed. Police say several of the robberies involved a revolver in addition to the scoped rifle.
Police say during four of the nine robberies (including the one the four men are being charged in) the victims' hands were restrained with plastic ties. Authorities say five of the robberies occurred in Milwaukee, three in West Allis and one in Greenfield.
According to the criminal complaint, Thomas Henderson admitted his involvement in all nine robberies after being taken into custody. He also stated that he held the .22 rifle that police recovered in each of the robberies.
Henderson told police Jamere Towns participated in all nine robberies as well, and that they used his girlfriend's Nissan during the robberies. Towns later admitted his involvement in all nine robberies to police.
Henderson further stated that Damonick Kemp participated in six of the nine robberies and claimed he occasionally used the .22 revolver.
Kemp denied involvement, but was arrested with the same very distinctive sweatshirt seen in the surveillance video and police say he was still wearing the white T-shirt with the sleeves cut off. Police say Kemp also had a large amount of cash and numerous bus tickets in his pockets.
According to police, Henderson further stated that Wesly Cooper participated in seven of the nine robberies. He told police that Cooper occasionally used pepper spray during the robberies.
The four men have been charged in connection with the armed robbery of Villager Food Mart and could face a fine of $100,000 and 40 years in prison. At this time, The United States Attorney's Office is pursuing federal charged in connection with all nine robberies.