Men Sentenced for Hobbs Act Robberies and Possession of Firearms by a Felon

GREENVILLE – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that today in federal court, Senior United States District Judge Malcolm J. Howard sentenced JAMES LEROY EVERETTE, 23, of Tarboro, North Carolina and BOBBY RAY WORTHINGTON, 25, of Pinetops, North Carolina for their roles in a series of robberies.  EVERETTE was sentenced to 134 months of imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release and WORTHINGTON was sentenced to 120 months of imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.

EVERETTE and WORTHINGTON were named in a six-count Indictment on October 3, 2017.  On January 11, 2018, EVERETTE pled guilty to three-counts of Hobbs Act Robbery and Aiding and Abetting; and one count of Brandishing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence and Aiding and Abetting.  Also on January 11, 2018, WORTHINGTON pled guilty to two-counts of Hobbs Act Robbery and Aiding and Abetting; one-count of Brandishing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence and Aiding and Abetting; and one-count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

On November 18, 2016, EVERETTE and WORTHINGTON, entered the Speedway gas station wearing ski masks, and demanded money from the clerk. They stole $310 from the register and $10 worth of cigarettes.  During the robbery, WORTHINGTON pointed a firearm at the clerk while EVERETTE stole the money from the register.  Furthermore, according to the victim, she was ordered to the ground before the suspects fled the store.

On November 19, 2016, EVERETTE and WORTHINGTON entered the Community Store wearing ski masks, and robbed the store of $1,500. During the robbery, WORTHINGTON used a firearm by pointing it at the clerks, while EVERETTE grabbed the money from the register. The clerks were then ordered to sit on the floor before WORTHINGTON and EVERETTE left the store.  

On November 21, 2016, EVERETTE, and Darricus Diquel Suggs, previously sentenced to 97 months imprisonment on April 17, 2018, entered the Speedway gas station wearing gloves and concealing their faces with shirts or ski masks.  EVERETTE immediately leapt over the counter and instructed the clerk to open the cash register, at which time he grabbed the cash out of the register.   They fled the scene with $382, which they ultimately divided among themselves.

On November 22, 2016, EVERETTE was arrested by Greenville Police Department (GPD), following a high speed chase, after his vehicle was recognized as the suspect vehicle in multiple commercial robberies.  During the pursuit, the officer activated his lights and siren, and reached speeds of 110 miles per hour.  EVERETTE also admitted to participating in the burglary of Perry’s Gun Shop in Wendell, North Carolina, in order to acquire firearms for future robberies.  EVERETTE and Suggs stole a total of nine firearms from the gun shop.

On November 22, 2016, WORTHINGTON was arrested driving a vehicle that contained a Ruger pistol and 1.5 grams of marijuana.  

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Greenville Police Department, Rocky Mount Police Department, and the Wendell Police Department conducted the criminal investigation of this case.  Assistant United States Attorney James J. Kurosad handled the prosecution of this case for the government.