Armed Robberies took place throughout Albemarle and Greene Counties
Charlottesville, VIRGINIA - A fifth individual involved in a series of armed robberies last summer in Albemarle and Greene counties was sentenced today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Charlottesville, Acting United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced.
Demetrius Steppe, 20, of Ruckersville, Va., was sentenced today to 180 months in federal prison. Steppe previously pled guilty to two counts of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Steppe was sentenced for his involvement in three armed robberies. The first of these robberies occurred on June 8, 2016 when Steppe, Terence Tyree and Kentavia Jones robbed the Papa John’s Pizza establishment in Greene County. The second robbery occurred on June 12, 2016 when Steppe and Isaiah Wilson robbed the 7-11 convenience store in Albemarle County. In this robbery, used an assault rifle to intimidate and threaten the store clerk. The third robbery occurred on June 17, 2016 when and Tyree returned to the Papa John’s Pizza establishment in Greene County for a second time. During each of these robberies, the defendants - while dressed in all black and wearing masks and gloves - brandished firearms at the clerks and demanded money and cell phones.
In total, these four defendants, as well as Jaquarius Johnson and Chelsea Scott, were responsible for five armed robberies of commercial establishments throughout June and July 2016. The targets were comprised of convenience stores and pizza restaurants in Albemarle and Greene Counties. addition, defendants Terence Tyree, Jaquarius Johnson and Kentavia Jones were responsible for a violent home invasion in Albemarle County occurring on July 18, 2016. separate hearings earlier this week, Terence Tyree, Kentavia Jones, Jaquarius Johnson and Isaiah Wilson were sentenced to federal prison time for their respective roles in the above robberies and the home invasion. For their respective conduct, Tyree, was sentenced to 360 months, Jones was sentenced to 225 months, Johnson was sentenced to 126 months and Wilson was sentenced to 68 months.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Albemarle County Police Department and the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Albemarle County and Greene County Commonwealth Attorneys Offices. Assistant United States Attorneys Ronald M. Huber and Christopher Kavanaugh prosecuted the case for the United States.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
