Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Legal professional for the District of Connecticut, at present introduced that two members in a spree of violent robberies of AT&T shops in Connecticut and western Massachusetts had been sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Choose Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport. SHAQUILLE RAYMOND, 25, of Hartford was sentenced to 72 months of imprisonment and 5 years of supervised launch, and SAVIANA BOURNE, 25, of Middletown, was sentenced to 78 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised launch.
In response to courtroom paperwork and statements made in courtroom, in 2021, Raymond, Alex Josephs, Ronaldo Smith and Deshawn Baugh dedicated a number of violent armed robberies of AT&T shops in Connecticut and western Massachusetts. The perpetrators sometimes entered the shops shortly earlier than closing, pointed weapons at workers, and, at occasions, pistol-whipped, dragged, and shoved workers towards the again stock room. They then held the workers at gunpoint whereas loading massive baggage with cell telephones and different electronics. The group stole a whole bunch of hundreds of {dollars} in merchandise. Bourne, who labored at AT&T shops, helped plan the robberies, served as a getaway driver, and coordinated the sale of the stolen merchandise.
The investigation revealed that Raymond, Josephs, and Smith robbed AT&T shops in Newington on January 29, 2021, and Enfield on February 24, 2021. Baugh then joined the conspiracy and collectively they robbed an AT&T retailer in Canton on April 15, 2021, and tried to rob shops in Torrington and Glastonbury in Might 2021, however had been locked out of the shops.
On June 6, 2021, Raymond and his associates, armed with a semiautomatic pistol, two revolvers, and a semiautomatic rifle, robbed an AT&T retailer in West Springfield, Massachusetts. After the theft, they fled in a car pushed by Bourne, who led police on a high-speed chase that ended when their car collided with a Massachusetts State Police cruiser. Raymond, Josephs, Smith, Baugh, and Bourne had been arrested, and a search of the car revealed greater than $150,000 in stolen merchandise, in addition to the firearms used in the course of the theft.
Choose Underhill ordered Raymond and Bourne to pay restitution of $298,073.86, which displays the losses from the Newington, Enfield, and Canton robberies. The property stolen within the West Springfield theft was recovered.
Raymond and Bourne have been detained since their arrests. On October 28, 2022, Raymond pleaded responsible to at least one depend of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act theft and one depend of brandishing a firearm throughout and in relation to a criminal offense of violence. On November 30, 2021, Bourne pleaded responsible to at least one depend of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act theft, 4 counts of Hobbs Act theft, and two counts of tried Hobbs Act theft.
Josephs, Smith, and Baugh additionally pleaded responsible. On March 1, 2023, Baugh was sentenced to 108 months of imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution of $124,842.45, which displays the loss from the Canton theft. Josephs and Smith await sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Connecticut Violent Crimes Activity Drive with the help of the Massachusetts State Police and the Newington, Enfield, Canton, Torrington, Glastonbury, and West Springfield Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Legal professional Robert S. Ruff.
