Portsmouth Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery

NORFOLK, Va. – Sherrod Cannon, 24, of Portsmouth, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by means of robbery and to brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The charge stems from three separate armed robberies Cannon committed in Portsmouth and Chesapeake in April 2015. 

Cannon was indicted by a federal grand jury on Oct. 22, 2015. According to court documents, videotape surveillance at the third 7-Eleven that was robbed showed Cannon’s co-conspirator casing the store just minutes before Cannon entered and pointed a revolver at the employees.  Shortly after the robbery, officers identified two suspects matching the description provided by the victim, who later identified Cannon as the gunman.  Police found cash matching the amount taking from the registers evenly split between Cannon and his co-conspirator.  Cannon also had a $2 bill, which the victim confirmed was stolen from the cash register during the robbery.  Police later recovered the loaded .38 caliber revolver that was used during the armed robbery.

The date and location of each robbery is listed below:

Cannon faces a mandatory minimum penalty of seven years in prison, and a maximum penalty of life in prison when he is sentenced on June 2, 2016.  The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Charles E. Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division; Kelvin L. Wright, Chief of Chesapeake Police; and Tonya D. Chapman, Chief of Portsmouth Police, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew C. Bosse and Joseph E. DePadilla, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John F. Butler are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:15-cr-121.