FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

WEDNESDAY - March 30, 2011

ROBBER’S ACCOMPLICE RECEIVES FEDERAL SENTENCE

RALEIGH - United States Attorney George E.B. Holding announced that in federal court today United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced JAMES ANDRE GRAHAM, 27, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, to 108 months’ imprisonment followed by five years supervised release.

A Federal Grand Jury returned a Criminal Indictment on January 14, 2010. On June 2, 2010, GRAHAM pled guilty to using, carrying and possessing a firearm during or in relation to or in furtherance of a crime of violence.

According to the October 2, 2009, Criminal Complaint, on September 18, 2009, an employee of Murphy USA, a gas station located on Hope Mills Road, was taking a blue bank deposit bag containing $14,440.71 to the Bank of America on Village Drive, in Fayetteville, North Carolina, to make the daily deposit for the business. A male approached the employee, pulled a gun, and demanded the money. After a struggle, the employee relinquished the money to the robber. The robber then ran to an awaiting car. The driver of the car,, GRAHAM, sped away, leaving the robber in the parking lot. The robber then threw the money and the gun, a Springfield Armory USA, Model XD, .45 caliber pistol, under a van in the parking lot and fled. Police recovered the money and weapon.

This case was part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods(PSN) initiative which encourages federal, state, and local agencies to cooperate in a unified “team effort” against gun crime, targeting repeat offenders who continually plague their communities.

Investigation of this case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fayetteville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jane Jackson represented the government.

News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s web page at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce within 48 hours of release.