COLUMBIA, SC—United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated that a Federal Grand Jury in Charleston, South Carolina, returned Indictment(s) against the following:

Three Indicted in Jewelry Store Robberies

COLUMBIA, SC—United States Attorney Bill Nettles announced today an indictment charging Charles Eloys Johnson, 35, of San Leandro, California; Aquabeus Moore, age 34, of Riverdale, Georgia; and Jerry Harbin, age 29 of Antioch, California, with their roles in two separate jewelry store robberies.

The indictment alleges that all three defendants conspired to rob Sylvan Jewelers in Columbia, SC on February 19, 2015 as well as MP Demetre Jewelers in Charleston, SC on March 4, 2015. The three are also charged with robbing those locations, on those dates, as well as possessing a firearm during the respective robberies. The conspiracy and robbery counts carry up to twenty years’ imprisonment under 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a) and the gun charges carry a mandatory consecutive five years’ imprisonment under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c).

The indictment is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, City of Charleston Police Department and Columbia Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Nathan Williams of the Charleston office is prosecuting the case.

Mr. Nettles stated that the charges in this Indictment are merely accusations and that the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.