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Press Release

Convicted Felon Sentenced for Armed Robbery of Waffle House and Assault on Police Officers

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia

ATLANTA – Jason Philpot, a 10-time convicted felon, was sentenced to federal prison for the armed robbery of a Waffle House and assault on police officers, whom he led on a high-speed chase and shot at after the robbery.

“Philpot amassed nine felony convictions during the past 20 years prior to committing the offenses in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. The citizens of our district are fortunate that his tenth felony, an armed robbery that involved a high-speed chase and shots fired at police officers, did not end in tragedy. Our community is now safer with Philpot behind bars.”

“The complete disregard shown by this defendant for the safety of the Waffle House employees and customers, the motoring public, and law enforcement officers who were shot at, is reprehensible,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Atlanta field office. “The FBI would like to thank the employee who called 911 and DeKalb County Police for helping us make sure Philpot serves a lengthy sentence in federal prison.”

According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: On September 30, 2014, Philpot and his accomplice entered the Waffle House on LaVista Road in Tucker, Georgia, shortly after 10:30 PM.  Philpot wore a black mask and carried an assault-style rifle while his accomplice wore a green mask and carried a handgun.  The robbers approached two waitresses at gunpoint and demanded that the women provide money from their cash registers and relinquish any personal cash. Philpot and his accomplice then emptied the cash register, took the waitresses’ tip money, demanded access to the safe, and forced the waitresses to accompany the robbers to the rear of the restaurant before placing the women on the floor at gunpoint.

A Waffle House employee standing outside the restaurant saw the robbers flee and called 911, thereby alerting a nearby DeKalb County police officer about the robbery. The officer encountered the robbers and unsuccessfully attempted to stop them before they escaped in a car driven by the defendant. Philpot and his accomplice then led multiple police officers on a high-speed car chase through a busy commercial area. Philpot eventually crashed his car. He and his accomplice fled on foot and fired at the pursuing officers.  The defendants fired 11 rounds at police officers before Philpot was arrested at a nearby hotel and his accomplice was apprehended in a brush area close to the hotel. Philpot pleaded guilty to the armed robbery of the restaurant, but proceeded to trial on the offenses of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence – the armed robbery – and being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm. A jury convicted him of the offenses on August 4, 2017.

The jury acquitted Philpot’s accomplice of all charges related to the Waffle House robbery and his accomplice subsequently pleaded guilty to committing the armed robbery of a McDonald’s restaurant that occurred days before the Waffle House robbery. Philpot’s accomplice received a sentence of 10 years in prison.

Jason Philpot, 38, of Atlanta, Georgia was sentenced to 25 years, eight months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and DeKalb County Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan K. Buchanan, Deputy Chief of the Violent Crime and National Security Section, and Jessica C. Morris prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In keeping with the Attorney General’s mission to reduce violent crime, the Northern District of Georgia’s PSN program focuses on prosecuting those individuals who most significantly drive violence in our communities, and supports and fosters partnerships between law enforcement and schools, the faith community, and local community leaders to prevent and deter future criminal conduct.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

Updated November 16, 2018

Topic
Project Safe Neighborhoods