Jury Convicts Pittman on Robbery, Firearm Charges
Defendant Faces Possible Lengthy Sentence

WINSTON-SALEM, NC—An individual responsible for multiple robberies in Davidson, Rowan, and Cabarrus Counties, North Carolina, has been convicted of nine federal offenses including robbery and firearms violations, announced Anna Mills Wagoner, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. The charges against TAJ MAURICE PITTMAN, age 34, resulted from the following acts occurring in the Middle District:

• On June 17, 2008, 2008, PITTMAN robbed the SunTrust Bank in Concord, NC.
• On November 7, 2008, PITTMAN robbed the Wachovia at 1501 South Cannon Street in Kannapolis, NC.
• On January 16, 2009, PITTMAN robbed a General Nutrition Center (GNC) store in Concord, NC.
• On January 18, 2009, PITTMAN robbed a GNC store in Salisbury, NC.
• Also on January 18, 2009, PITTMAN robbed a GNC store in Lexington, NC.

PITTMAN also faces federal charges for kidnapping and firearms violations arising out of an event in South Carolina.

A jury in Winston-Salem convicted PITTMAN on all counts on Thursday, January 7, after a three-day trial. Sentencing is scheduled for June 16, 2010, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Thomas D. Schroeder.

For each of the three charges relating to the GNC robberies, PITTMAN faces imprisonment for up to 20 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and supervised release of not more than three years. For each of two bank robbery charges, PITTMAN may be sentenced to up to 20 years' imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and not more than three years supervised release. PITTMAN was also convicted of two counts of armed bank each of which carries a possible term of imprisonment of up to 25 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and not more than five years supervised release. Finally, as to the firearm charge relating to the SunTrust robbery, PITTMAN faces a mandatory minimum prison term of seven years, which cannot run concurrently with any other term of imprisonment. As to the second firearm charge, PITTMAN faces a mandatory minimum prison term of 25 years, which cannot run concurrently with any other term of imprisonment. In addition to any other penalty authorized by law, the Court will order that the defendant make restitution to any victim of the offense.

The actual sentence will be determined by the Court under the advisory Federal Sentencing Guidelines which depend upon a number of factors unique to each case, including the defendant's prior criminal record, if any, the defendant's role in the offense and the unique 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, nor can the sentence fall below a mandatory minimum if one is established for the offense.

The charges against PITTMAN were investigated by several law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Police Departments of Concord, Kannapolis, Salisbury, Charlotte, and Lexington, North Carolina, with assistance from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.