A Halifax County man has been sentenced to a seven-year stint behind bars for playing the role of the getaway driver in a convenience store robbery. Khiyelle Dent, 21, was sentenced after pleading guilty to charges stemming from the January 31, 2023, incident at an Enfield Speedway store. As reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Dent faced one count of interfering with commerce by robbery and aiding and abetting, along with a separate count for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
During the robbery, Dent dutifully waited in the vehicle as his accomplice entered the store, pulled a gun on the clerk, and made off with cash. The pair tried to quickly escape the scene, but Enfield Police Department officers managed to stop their vehicle shortly after the crime. When the police approached, Dent's passenger managed to slip away silently on foot. According to the same source, officers found evidence linking the clothing found in Dent's vehicle to a series of Halifax County robberies that had taken place the previous month.
The story of Dent's run-ins with the law doesn't end there. On February 2, 2023, Halifax County Sheriff’s Office deputies intercepted Dent at a nearby Dollar General. Employees, wary of a potential robbery, had called 911. Dent had entered the store, glanced around suspiciously, and signaled someone outside before officers arrived on the scene. A subsequent frisk revealed that Dent was carrying a firearm—something his previous felon status prohibited him from having.
The aftermath of these strings of events led to the sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. "Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing," the U.S. Attorney's Office shared. The successful resolution of the case came down to the coordinated efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Enfield Police Department, Halifax County Sheriff’s Office, Gaston Police Department, and the ATF, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Phil Aubart to prosecute the case.
