NORFOLK, Va. - A Norfolk man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for a series of armed robberies.
According to court documents, from August 2016 through January 2017, Zakee Hawkins, 25, conspired with two others to conduct a series of armed robberies of various commercial establishments. They robbed a Metro PCS, 7-Eleven, Boost Mobile, Tinee Giant, Fast Auto Loan and Quick N Save stores and various gas stations located in Norfolk, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach and Hampton. In each of these robberies, Hawkins and a co-conspirator would enter the store brandishing firearms and demand that employees turn over all the money. They would then flee the scene in a get-a-way vehicle. After the 15th robbery, an employees picked Hawkins out of a photo lineup as the person who robbed the store. Afterwards, Hawkins was arrested, but his co-conspirators continued the armed robbery spree by robbing 16 additional stores and gas stations before they were arrested. In total, they conducted 31 armed robberies of various locations, with over 50 employees as victims of their crimes.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorney William D. Muhr prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:17-cr-51.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
