Kings Mountain Man Charged with Armed Robbery of Fast Food Chain Restaurant in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, NC—James William Lewis, Jr., 31, of Kings Mountain, North Carolina, faces federal charges in connection with the December 12, 2013 armed robbery of a Charlotte area Jack in the Box restaurant, announced Anne M. Tompkins, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

U.S. Attorney Tompkins is joined in making today’s announcement by John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Rodney D. Monroe of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

A federal criminal complaint filed today in U.S. District Court charges Lewis with one count of Hobbs Act robbery. According to the criminal complaint, on December 12, 2013, Lewis entered the restaurant and asked the manager for money while brandishing a weapon. The manager handed Lewis cash and Lewis fled the scene.

Lewis is currently in federal custody. His initial appearance is set for today at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge David S. Cayer. The statutory maximum sentence for Hobbs Act robbery is 20 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

The charges contained in the complaint are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The investigation is handled by the FBI and CMPD. The prosecution is being handled for the government by Assistant U.S. Attorney George Guise of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.