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NC Man Sentenced to 34 Years for Jewelry Store Robberies
Charles Walker Jr. was convicted in the armed robberies of two Kay Jewelers stores in North Carolina.
New Bern, N.C.—A North Carolina man was sentenced to a little over 34 years in prison in connection with two jewelry store robberies in 2018.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Charles Walker Jr., of High Point, North Carolina, was charged with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery (meaning to interfere with commerce via robbery), two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a federal crime of violence, witness tampering, and aiding and abetting in those crimes.
Following a trial, a jury convicted the 56-year-old Walker in December 2020. U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced him on Friday.
According to the Justice Department, the robberies occurred at Kay Jewelers stores in North Carolina, one in Elizabeth City and one in Garner.
The robbers brandished weapons during both robberies, escaping with nearly $600,000 worth of jewelry.
During one of the incidents, a store employee had her hands cuffed behind her back and was left in the backroom of the store.
Walker, who is also known as “Supreme,” admitted on the stand to being associated with a high-ranking member of a gang in Greensboro.
The Department of Justice described Walker as “an extremely violent and dangerous individual” in a press release about the sentencing.
Walker was previously convicted of first-degree murder, but won a new trial and pled guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and accessory after the fact to murder after he had served 17 years in prison.
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