Two serial armed robbers who were part of a five-man crew apprehended in March after a high-speed pursuit through Virginia Beach were sentenced today. Three additional co-conspirators await sentencing later this year.
Kareem Ross, 34, of Hampton, and Roshaun Griffin, 36, of Virginia Beach, were sentenced to 27 years and 15 years, respectively, in prison.
The crew stole cash, cigarettes and lottery tickets, according to investigators.
The five men were apprehended on March 18 after an attempted robbery of a Tiger Mart gas station. A Virginia Beach police cruiser’s dash camera captured the men throwing several loaded weapons out of their rental car. The vehicle came to a stop after spike strips were deployed, according to court records.
Police recovered ski masks and gloves from inside the suspect vehicle. The clothing and shoes worn by the suspects, police said, matched video surveillance from six prior armed robberies in the Hampton Roads area.
Investigators from the Virginia Lottery received alerts from convenience stores where attempts were made by Spencer and Ross to cash the stolen tickets. Investigators pulled the surveillance video from those attempts and identified both men.
Their co-conspirators Marvin Lockhart, 32; Harold Spencer, 32; and Jon Morgan, 32, are awaiting sentencing.
Lockhart, of Virginia Beach, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 16 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison. Lockhart was captured on Norfolk Airport video, where the getaway car was rented, wearing purple shoes. He was captured after an armed robbery at the Jr. Market in Norfolk wearing the same shoes, according to court documents. No sentencing date has been set for Lockhart.
Spencer faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 31 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison. Spencer took a “selfie” on his cell phone wearing a six mask which was later recovered and found to contain his DNA. His cell phone also contained photographs of his co-conspirator holding a handgun with a drum magazine, multiple Glock firearms consistent with those thrown from the fleeing vehicle and pictures of large sums of cash and lottery tickets. Investigators were also able to connect Spencer to all six robberies by his shoes and an impression left at the Arrowhead Food Mart robbery on March 5. Spencer’s sentencing date is scheduled for Nov. 2.
Morgan, who had completed a prior prison sentence for armed robbery several months before these cases, faces up to 125 months in prison. No sentencing date has been set.
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Crystal Graham
