Newport News Man Pleads Guilty To Robbery Charges

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Ronald W. Carr, 38, of Newport News, Va., pleaded guilty today to twenty-eight counts of robbery without a plea agreement.

            Neil H. MacBride, U. S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and Carl J. Vasilko, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States District Judge Henry C. Morgan.

            Carr was charged in an indictment returned on January 16, 2013, with twenty-eight counts of robbery.  Carr faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the robbery charges when he is sentenced on September 11, 2013, in Norfolk.

            In a statement of facts filed during the plea hearing, Carr admitted to robbing the following stores and restaurants between December 18, 2010 and December 27, 2012: Advance Auto Parts, Auto Zone, Bojangles', Captain D’s, Dollar General, Family Dollar, KFC, and Long John Silver’s. The stores were located in York County, Hampton and Newport News, Va. In some instances, the same franchise was robbed, but in different locations. During the robberies, Carr possessed, brandished and pointed a firearm at store employees and demanded money.

            The investigation of this case was led by the ATF’s Washington Field Division, with the assistance of the York County Sheriff’s Office, Newport News Police Department and the Hampton Police Division. Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bradenham, II is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.