Robber Sentenced to Over 84 Years in Prison

RALEIGH—The United States Attorney’s Office announced that in federal court on February 25, 2010, United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced DARYL BERNARD CARTER, 41, of Raleigh, North Carolina, to 1012 months’ imprisonment (84 years and four months) followed by five years of supervised release.

This case arose out of several robberies committed in the Raleigh and Knightdale areas. In the early morning hours of January 23, 2008, CARTER and a juvenile accomplice robbed the Crown Gas Station located on Wake Forest Road in Raleigh, North Carolina, with a sawed-off shotgun. A couple hours later, CARTER and the same juvenile robbed a BP Gas Station located on Poole Road in Raleigh with the same firearm. On February 1, 2008, CARTER, after assaulting a teller, robbed the Wachovia Bank in Knightdale, North Carolina, while brandishing a plastic firearm. Finally, on February 22, 2008, CARTER and the juvenile accomplice, after assaulting customers present in the bank, robbed the Wachovia Bank on Old Spring Forest Road in Raleigh while brandishing firearms.

A Federal Grand Jury returned a Criminal Indictment on May 7, 2009, charging the defendant with one count of Hobbs Conspiracy, two counts of Hobbs robberies, one count of bank robbery, one count of armed bank robbery, and three counts of possessing firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence. At trial, a jury convicted the defendant of all counts.

“The Court’s sentence may seem harsh at first glance,” stated Mr. Holding, “However, this type of robbery spree demands a stiff sentence. In a country where random criminal acts are relatively rare, these crimes target local businesses and average citizens in frightening, and potentially dangerous, ways. We hope sentences like this one handed down by the Court will work to deter this type of crime.”

Investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Raleigh Police Department, and the Knightdale Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Rudy E. Renfer represented the government.