Richmond Man Convicted Of Armed Robbery

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. –Marcellus Edward Cheatham, III, 27, of Richmond, Va., was convicted today by a federal jury of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and being a felon in possession of ammunition. On the first day of trial, Tuesday, May 14, 2013, Cheatham pled guilty to robbing a Walgreens pharmacy, and possessing Oxycodone stolen in the robbery, with the intention of distributing or selling it. He proceeded to trial on the remaining charges.

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Carl J. Vasilko, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, and, Thomas Townsend Hampton Police Chief, made the announcement after the verdict was accepted by United States District Judge Henry C. Morgan, Jr.

            Marcellus was indicted on November 15, 2012 on charges of robbery, felon in possession of a firearm and brandishing a firearm in relation to the robbery. A superseding indictment was returned in March 11, 2013, adding charges of felon in possession of ammunition and possession with intent to distribute Oxycodone.

            According to court records, and evidence at trial, Cheatham planned and carried out the robbery of the Walgreens store at 919 W Mercury Boulevard in Hampton on August 21, 2012, after driving from Richmond to Hampton to commit the robbery. Cheatham entered the Walgreens, approached a pharmacist, and threw a demand note at him. When the pharmacist bent over to pick the demand note up Cheatham jumped over the counter and, brandishing a firearm, told the pharmacist to give him all his Percocet which is a brand of Oxycodone. After obtaining Percocet in a bag, Cheatham walked out of the pharmacy and returned to his residence in Richmond. Fingerprints found at the scene linked Cheatham to the crime. Agents executed a search warrant at Cheatham’s residence a few days later and recovered bottles of Percocet taken in the robbery.      

            This case was investigated by the ATF’s Washington Field Division and the Hampton Police Division.  Managing Assistant United States Attorney Howard J. Zlotnick and Special Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca A. Staton from the Criminal Division’s Gang Unit prosecuted 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.