A Charlotte man who helped terrorize store clerks in a short, violent robbery spree will spend more than three decades in federal prison after a judge handed down a 394-month sentence yesterday.
According to WSOC, 33-year-old Andrew Marquis Jackson was ordered to serve 394 months in federal prison - just over 32 years - followed by five years of supervised release. He remains in federal custody and will be transferred to the Federal Bureau of Prisons once designated. Jackson had been convicted at trial on multiple Hobbs Act robbery and firearms-in-furtherance counts, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Robberies Described at Trial
Court evidence and witness testimony showed Jackson and co-conspirators Joshua Jon’tavious Blount and Messiah Lynn Blair hit three Charlotte businesses in quick succession, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors said the trio first robbed a Dunkin’ on Beatties Ford Road on January 24, 2023, where Jackson allegedly fired a shot into the ceiling to cow employees. Three days later, on January 27, they targeted a 7-Eleven on Brookshire Boulevard. On February 1, they robbed a Family Dollar, taking money from the registers and a safe. In each case, workers were forced at gunpoint to hand over cash.
Investigation and Prosecution
WSOC reported that the FBI and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department investigated the case, which ended in a jury conviction and the lengthy sentence. The convictions include three Hobbs Act robbery counts, three conspiracy counts, and multiple firearms-in-furtherance charges that helped drive the final prison term. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.
Legal Note
Jackson’s convictions included federal robbery and firearm-in-furtherance counts that carry steep penalties. Earlier court filings and U.S. Attorney filings indicated that the combination of charges created a substantial mandatory minimum, which shaped the ultimate sentence. Prosecutors built the case with surveillance footage, witness testimony, and physical evidence.
