Five men associated with the United Blood Nation gang have been sentenced to prison for their involvement in a series of armed robberies targeting convenience stores in Virginia Beach and Norfolk.
Court documents reveal that on January 14, 2022, Harold Edward Spencer III and Kareem Doyle Ross initiated a two-month robbery spree by robbing a Citgo Mini Mart in Virginia Beach. Armed with firearms, they stole money, lottery tickets, and cigarettes. Later that day, they committed another robbery at a Circle D Food Mart where Spencer fired his gun at a fleeing customer.
On February 7, 2022, Spencer and Ross, joined by another individual, robbed an Express Food Mart in Norfolk. On February 19, they were accompanied by Marvin Eugene Lockhart Jr. during the robbery of a Crown Gas Station in Virginia Beach. In both incidents, firearms were pointed at employees and customers while money and cigarettes were stolen.
On March 5, Spencer, Ross, and Roshaun Devon Griffin targeted an Arrowhead Food Mart in Virginia Beach. They repeated their pattern of thefts involving money, cigarettes, and lottery tickets while brandishing firearms at an employee.
A week later on March 12, Spencer, Ross, and Lockhart executed another robbery at a Jr. Market in Norfolk taking money and lottery tickets while threatening an employee with firearms.
The group's crime spree ended on March 18 when Ross, Spencer, Lockhart, Griffin along with Jon Demetrious Jacques Morgan attempted to rob a Tiger Mart in Virginia Beach but aborted the plan upon police intervention. The suspects tried to escape but were apprehended after police disabled their vehicle using spike strips.
In subsequent legal proceedings:
- On October 4, 2022: Griffin pleaded guilty to several charges including conspiracy to interfere with commerce by means of robbery.
- On June 9: Griffin was sentenced to over fifteen years.
- On October 14: Ross also pleaded guilty to similar charges.
- On June 13: He received a sentence exceeding twenty-seven years.
- On December 13: Both Spencer and Morgan were convicted at trial; Morgan received seven years while Spencer was sentenced to forty-two years.
- On October 6: Lockhart entered a guilty plea for his involvement.
- Today he was sentenced to over twenty-two years following his participation which included leaving a family gathering for one of the robberies.
Jessica D. Aber from the U.S Attorney's Office for Eastern District of Virginia announced these outcomes alongside Brian Dugan from FBI’s Norfolk Field Office and Paul Neudigate from Virginia Beach Police after Judge Arenda Wright Allen handed down Lockhart's sentence.
Assistant U.S Attorneys John F Butler along with Joseph E DePadilla prosecuted this case successfully securing convictions against all five defendants involved.