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Press Release

Eastpointe Man Sentenced To 56 Years For Robbing Eight Retail Stores In Armed Robbery Spree

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Michigan

An Eastpointe man was sentenced today to 56 years after having been convicted in November, 2018, of robbing eight retail stores at gunpoint between June 26, 2017, and October 18, 2017, and attempting to rob a ninth store, announced United States Attorney Matthew Schneider.

Schneider was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Timothy R. Slater, Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Sentenced was Mohamed Abdi, 33, of Eastpointe, Michigan.

According to the evidence presented at trial, Mohamed Abdi started his robbery spree on June 26, 2017, when he attempted to rob a Family Dollar located on Nine Mile Road in Eastpointe, Michigan, at gunpoint. That robbery attempt failed when the store clerk was unable to open the register, but undeterred, Abdi drove two miles down the road to a CVS in Warren and robbed it hours later that day.

Abdi proceeded to rob seven other CVS and Rite Aid pharmacies throughout the greater Detroit area. Each time, Abdi walked into the store wearing a baseball hat, sunglasses, and a long sleeve shirt. Abdi waited until the store was empty and then demanded the money from the register while brandishing a handgun tucked in his waistband. In addition to brandishing a gun, Abdi also threatened several of the clerks, including telling the clerk who failed to open her register at the Family Dollar in Eastpointe that she was lucky he did not shoot her.

During his robbery spree, Abdi picked stores that appeared to be empty based on the number of cars in the parking lot and the number of customers in the stores. Abdi robbed the following stores:

  • June 26, 2017:      CVS Pharmacy, 13608 East Nine Mile Road, Warren
  • July 11, 2017:         Rite Aid Pharmacy, 15411 Southfield Road, Allen Park
  • July 24, 2017:         CVS Pharmacy, 27700 Harper Avenue, St Clair Shores
  • July 30, 2017:          Rite Aid Pharmacy, 35101 East Michigan Avenue, Wayne
  • July 31, 2017:          CVS Pharmacy, 15051 East Thirteen Mile Road, Warren
  • October 16, 2017:   CVS Pharmacy, 3647 Dix Avenue, Lincoln Park
  • October 17, 2017:   CVS Pharmacy, 31240 Harper Avenue, St Clair Shores
  • October 18, 2017:   CVS Pharmacy, 22515 Mack Avenue, St Clair Shores
  •  

Abdi took $2,825.66 from the eight stores affected by his robbery spree.

The investigation was led by members of the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force in conjunction with police departments in Allen Park, Lincoln Park, Livonia, St Clair Shores, Warren, and Wayne.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jeanine Brunson and Shane Cralle.

Updated July 11, 2019

Topic
Violent Crime