Cleveland men indicted for armed robberies in Solon, Bath and North Olmsted

A federal grand jury indicted three Cleveland men for armed robberies in Solon, Bath and North Olmsted, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Stephone D. Tillman, 24, Matthew S. Bowen, Jr., 24, and Christopher R. Jones, 25, were indicted on charges of conspiring to interfere with interstate commerce by means of robbery as well as committing the robberies of convenience stores in Solon and in Bath.

Additionally, Tillman and Bowen were also charged with robbing a drive through convenience store in North Olmsted.  Each of the robberies involved the use of a firearm, according to the indictment.

Tillman, Bowen, and Jones robbed the Circle K, located at 29605 Aurora Road, in Solon, on September 15, 2015.  On October 3, 2015, Bowen and Tillman robbed the Zip Thru drive-through store located at 30781 Lorain Road, in North Olmsted.  On October 8, 2015, all three defendants robbed the Circle K, located at 791 Cleveland-Massillon Road, in Bath, according to the indictment.

Additionally, Tillman was charged with using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to each of the robberies. Bowen and Jones were charged as accomplices to that firearm use for the two Circle K robberies.

Tillman was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation in conjunction with the Solon, North Olmsted, and Bath Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin R. Filiatraut and Kelly L. Galvin.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.  In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial, in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt