Hampton Roads Robbers Sentenced

NORFOLK, Va. – A Hampton man was sentenced today to 27 years in prison, and a Virginia Beach man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for their roles in a serial armed robbery crew.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Kareem Ross, 34 and Roshaun Griffin, 36, were members of a five-man armed robbery crew that were apprehended on March 18 after a high-speed pursuit through Virginia Beach following an attempted robbery of a Tiger Mart gas station. A pursuing Virginia Beach police cruiser’s dash camera captured the men throwing several loaded weapons from their car. Only after spike strips were deployed multiple times did the car finally come to a stop. All men were apprehended, and police recovered ski masks and gloves from inside their vehicle. The clothing and shoes each of them were wearing matched what could be seen in video surveillance from six prior armed robberies. Ross wore a NASA sweatshirt at the first two of six robberies. He was arrested wearing that same NASA sweatshirt.

The rental vehicle they were arrested in was traced back to the Norfolk Airport from where it was rented. One of the co-conspirators Marvin Lockhart, 32, was caught on the airport video wearing purple shoes was caught later that night on surveillance committing an armed robbery of the Jr. Market in Norfolk wearing purple shoes. One of the co-conspirators, Harold Spencer, 32, who shot at a fleeing customer during the second of six-armed robberies, took a “selfie” on his cell phone wearing a ski mask worn in all six robberies—a ski mask, which was recovered after the high-speed pursuit and later was shown to contain his DNA. His cell phone also contained photographs of his co-conspirator holding a handgun with a drum magazine, multiple Glock firearms consistent with those thrown from the fleeing vehicle, pictures of large sums of cash, and lottery tickets. Griffin participated in one of the earlier robberies and locked the door so the victims could not escape.

The armed robbery crew stole cash, cigarettes, and lottery tickets. Investigators from the Virginia Lottery received alerts from convenience stores where attempts were made by Spencer and Ross, to cash the stolen tickets. Investigators pulled the surveillance video from those attempts and identified both men. Additionally, through a shoe impression expert from the Virginia Department of Forensic Science, investigators were able to connect the shoes Spencer was arrested in with a lift of an impression made at the Arrowhead Food Mart he had robbed on March 5. Those shoes could be seen at all six armed robberies Spencer had committed.

Several months before to this conduct, one of the co-conspirators Jon Morgan, 32, had completed a prior prison sentence for armed robbery.

Spencer faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 31 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on November 2, 2023. Morgan faces up to 125 months in prison when is sentenced on a date yet to be set. Marvin Lockhart, Jr., 32, of Virginia Beach faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 16 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison when he is sentenced on a date yet to be set. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Paul W. Neudigate, Chief of Police, Virginia Beach Police Department, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen accepted the verdict.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joe DePadilla and John F. Butler are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-106. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-106.