Tuskegee Man Charged in 10 Armed Robberies

Montgomery, AL--A federal grand jury returned a 23-count indictment against Tariq Khalil Jones, 34, of Tuskegee, Alabama, charging him with committing ten armed robberies in Alabama and Georgia while brandishing and discharging a firearm, and an attempted carjacking, announced George L. Beck, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama.  Jones is alleged to have robbed various convenience stores and other cash-heavy businesses, including:

• Dollar General on Notasulga Road in Tallassee, Alabama;
• Tiger Spirits on Webster Road, in Auburn, Alabama;
• Chevron Store 10 on West Longleaf Drive in Auburn, Alabama;
• QuickTrip convenience store on East Highway 34 in Newnan, Georgia;
• Marathon Service Station on Lafayette Parkway in LaGrange, Georgia;
• Wing N’ Burger Factory on Hogansville Road in LaGrange, Georgia;
• Papa John’s restaurant on South Memorial Drive in Prattville, Alabama;
• Family Dollar on 2^nd Avenue in Opelika, Alabama;
• Family Dollar on Broadnax Street in Dadeville, Alabama; and
• Family Dollar on County Road 89 in Camp Hill, Alabama.

During each of these crimes, Jones is alleged to have pointed a firearm at victims.  After the Prattville robbery, he is accused of firing the weapon at an occupied vehicle.  Upon exiting the Family Dollar in Camp Hill, Alabama, Jones attempted to carjack a Volkswagen Beetle. 

Jones was formally arraigned September 30, 2016 and entered a plea of not guilty to all charges.  Jones faces a sentence of up to 15 years for each robbery count, a minimum of 7 years on each count charging brandishing a firearm, up to 15 years for the attempted carjacking, and a minimum of 10 years for the count of discharging a firearm.  Jones is being held in custody pending his trial.

An indictment is merely a method of charging an individual with a crime and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty at trial.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Auburn Police Division, the Camp Hill Police Department, the Coweta County Sheriff's Office (Newnan, GA), the Dadeville Police Department, the LaGrange, Georgia Police Department, the Opelika Police Department, the Prattville Police Department, and the Tallassee Police Department.  Central Alabama CrimeStoppers was an instrumental part in identifying the subject accused of these crimes.  Assistant United States Attorneys John Geer and Kevin Davidson are prosecuting the case.