A federal jury has convicted a man in connection with an armed robbery that left a Newport News food delivery driver stripped of his shoes, his cash, his order and his car key fob at gunpoint. Jayveon Christopher McCloud and a second man allegedly confronted the driver while masked and carrying handguns, ordering him to empty his pockets before the pair sped off in two separate stolen vehicles.
According to federal prosecutors, as reported by Daily Voice, McCloud and co-defendant Takaree Alexander Fields approached the driver on October 22, 2025, in Newport News. The pair were both masked and armed with handguns, and prosecutors say they threatened the victim at gunpoint, ordering him to surrender his belongings, empty his pockets and remove his shoes. The robbers made off with the delivery order itself, along with the driver’s shoes, cash and car key fob, as reported by 13News Now.
Two Getaway Cars, Two Separate Chases
The two men didn't flee together. McCloud left the scene in the victim's own car, while Fields took off in a vehicle he had stolen from his mother, per the Daily Voice account. Newport News police spotted the victim's stolen vehicle and attempted to pull McCloud over, but he fled and crashed the car before trying to run on foot. Officers caught him following a brief chase.
Fields evaded capture a day longer. Henrico County police located him the following day after he fled and crashed in a convenience store parking lot, the same report notes. Officers then tracked him into a nearby wooded area and took him into custody.
Conviction, Guilty Plea and Looming Sentences
A federal jury in Newport News convicted McCloud of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery, threats and violence, interference with interstate commerce by robbery, threats and violence, carjacking, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, according to court records referenced by the station's report. Fields, for his part, pleaded guilty on October 5 to interference with interstate commerce by robbery, threats and violence and to brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, as detailed by RRSpin.
Both men now face steep mandatory minimums. McCloud faces a sentence of between seven years and up to life in prison, while Fields faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years and up to life in prison when he's sentenced on January 7. McCloud is scheduled to be sentenced on January 20, 2027.
What Federal Law Allows
The interference-with-commerce charges against both men fall under 18 U.S.C. § 1951, the federal statute covering robbery, extortion and violence that affects interstate commerce. Per the United States Code, the law allows for fines or imprisonment of up to 20 years, or both, for anyone who obstructs, delays or affects commerce through robbery or extortion, or who attempts or conspires to do so. That charge sits alongside the carjacking and firearm counts that carry their own mandatory minimums, pushing the stakes for both men well beyond that 20-year ceiling.
