New Haven Man Who Committed 5 Gunpoint Robberies of the Same New Haven Store Pleads Guilty

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JERMAINE CANNON, 19, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to robbery and firearm offenses related to his commission of five gunpoint robberies of the same New Haven business during a six-week period in 2021.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 30, October 27, November 6, November 10 and November 11, 2021, Cannon, brandishing a handgun, robbed the Howard Mini Mart & Deli, located on Howard Avenue in New Haven.  During all five robberies, Cannon pointed the gun and threatened to shoot store employees.

Cannon was arrested after the fifth robbery on November 11, 2021.  A search of a residence where Cannon was apprehended revealed a 9mm semiautomatic handgun, a distinctive hoodie he wore during the robbery on November 10, and a pair of latex gloves.

Cannon pleaded guilty to five counts of interference with commerce by robbery, an offense that carries a maximum term imprisonment of 20 years on each count, and one count of carrying, using and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least seven years.  Judge Thompson scheduled sentencing for June 19.

Cannon has been detained since his arrest.

This matter has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the New Haven Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel J. Gentile and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.