Four Salt Lake City Men Charged With Robberies, Firearms Violations After September Robberies In Salt Lake Valley

SALT LAKE CITY – Four residents of Salt Lake City have initial appearances in federal court Wednesday afternoon after a grand jury returned an indictment charging them with violations of federal law in connection with a string of robberies in the Salt Lake Valley during September 2016. A silver handgun was used during each of the robberies.

The hearing is at 1 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin B. Pead. The grand jury returned the indictment last week. The robbery counts are charged under the federal Hobbs Act.

Charged in the indictment are Tyrell Anthony James, age 23; Damon Keith Grigsby, age 19; Isaiah Alexander Jones, age 19; and Tristan Melchizadek Walker, age 20 – all of Salt Lake City.

Three counts of the indictment charge the defendants in connection with three robberies that occurred on Sept. 10, 2016. The indictment alleges James, Grigsby and Jones participated in a robbery at a 7-Eleven store located at 510 East 1300 South in Salt Lake City. James, Grigsby, Walker and Jones are charged with robbing a Subway store located at 3197 South Redwood Road in West Valley City and James and Grigsby are charged with a robbery of the CVS Pharmacy located at 3148 West 3500 South in West Valley, also on Sept. 10.

James is charged with using, carrying and brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence during the alleged 7-Eleven robbery. James and Grigsby are charged with using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm in connection with the alleged Subway robbery. Both are also charged with using the firearm in the CVS Pharmacy robbery. During the CVS robbery, a shot was fired in the direction of an employee, so the count reads using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.

The indictment also charges James and Grigsby with three alleged robberies that occurred on Sept. 12, 2016, in Salt Lake City, West Jordan, and South Salt Lake City. James and Grigsby are charged with robberies at a 7-Eleven store located at 1692 West North Temple in Salt Lake City, the Nike Factory Store located at 3736 West Center Park Drive in West Jordan, and the Maverick store located at 514 West 3900 South in South Salt Lake City.

James and Grigsby are also charged with using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during the robberies.

The final count of the indictment charges James with possession a firearm after a felony conviction. Federal law prohibits individuals convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm.

After the first robbery, law enforcement officers received information from a witness about a car the suspects were driving. This information ultimately helped officers locate the defendants.

The potential maximum penalty for each count of robbery is 20 years in prison. James is facing a mandatory 130 years in federal prison for using a firearm during the commission of a violent crime and 10 years for the felon in possession count. Grigsby is facing a mandatory 105 years on the firearms counts in the indictment. (James –five years for first count, 25 years for each of the next five. Grigsby – is charged with aiding and abetting the firearms violations, but the penalty is the same – five years for the first count and 25 five years for each of the next four counts. The penalties for each of these counts run consecutive to any other sentence.)

Jones and Walker are not charged with firearms counts and face up to 20 years on each of the robbery counts. Jones is charged with two robberies and Walker is charged with one robbery.

Indictments are not findings of guilt. Individuals charged in indictments are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty in court.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Salt Lake City and is being investigated by special agents of the FBI with assistance from police departments in Salt Lake City, West Valley City, West Jordan, and South Salt Lake City.