Press Release
MARTIN COUNTY GROUP SENTENCED FOR COMMITTING SERIES OF ARMED ROBBERIES
September 18, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jeffrey H. Sloman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Hugo Barrera, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Amos Rojas, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Edward M. Morley, Chief, Stuart Police Department, William McCollum, Chief, Tequesta Police Department, Frank J. Kitzerow, Chief, Jupiter Police Department, Donald Shinnamon, Sr., Chief, Port St. Lucie Police Department, R. Sean Baldwin, Chief, Fort Pierce Police Department, Ken J. Mascara, Sheriff, St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, and Robert L. Crowder, Sheriff, Martin County Sheriff’s Office, announce that defendants Matthew Joseph Anderson, Aaron Alvin Taylor, Dewayne Bernard Mitchell, Jr., and Eliza Wesley Ramsdell were sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge K. Michael Moore for their respective roles in a series of armed robberies, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951, and use of a firearm during commission of a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924©.
Anderson was sentenced to 471 months’ imprisonment, followed by five years supervised release. Mitchell was sentenced to 327 months’ imprisonment, followed by five years supervised release. Taylor was sentenced to199 months’ imprisonment, followed by five years supervised release. Ramsdell was sentenced to135 months’ imprisonment, followed by five years supervised release. Each defendant was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims. Two additional defendants, Michael Shane Ragland and Deshawn Kenneth James, are scheduled for trial in Ft. Pierce in November 2009.
On March 16, 2009, a year long multi-agency investigation spearheaded by the FDLE and the Stuart Police Department resulted in the arrest of six members of an armed robbery group based in the Hobe Sound area. The six members identified were responsible for ten (10) armed robberies of convenience stores from Jupiter to Fort Pierce, Florida. The robberies were committed from December 11, 2007 to February 22, 2008. Mostly cash and cigarettes were stolen from each of the stores.
The following convenience stores were robbed by armed members of the group:
I. December 11, 2007, at approximately 09:10 p.m.: Right Way Foods, 1880 SE Palm Beach Road, Stuart, Florida.
II. December 14, 2007, at approximately 03:07 p.m.: Island Beverage, 9128 SE Bridge Road, Hobe Sound, Florida.
III. January 12, 2008, at approximately 09:46 p.m.: Shell Gas Station, 1308 SE Federal Highway, Stuart, Florida.
IV. January 27, 2008, at approximately 10:02 p.m.: Texaco Gas Station, 11010 SE Federal Highway, Hobe Sound, Florida.
V. February 2, 2008, at approximately 10:43 p.m.: A & M Discount Beverage, 200 S Whitney Drive, Jupiter, Florida.
VI. February 18, 2008, at approximately 10:04 p.m.: Stop & Shop Food Store, 391 Seabrook Road, Tequesta, Florida.
VII. February 20, 2008, at approximately 11:54 p.m.: Shell Gas Station, 2799 N US Highway 1, Fort Pierce, Florida.
VIII. February 22, 2008, at approximately 01:34 a.m.: Chevron Gas Station, 1780 SW Saint Lucie West Boulevard, Port Saint Lucie, Florida.
Mr. Sloman commended the investigative efforts of the FDLE, Stuart Police Department, Tequesta Police Department, Jupiter Police Department, Port Saint Lucie Police Department, Fort Pierce Police Department, Saint Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, Martin County Sheriff’s Office, and the ATF. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rinku Talwar.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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