ALBANY, Ga. - The final defendant involved in a string of violent convenience store robberies in Albany in 2016, shooting and injuring two clerks, was sentenced to prison for his crime today, announced Charlie Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.
Anthony Parks, 28, of Albany, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Leslie Gardner to a total of 240 months in prison, 120 months per count, after pleading guilty to two counts of possession and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. In June, co-defendant Javarius Mallory, 26, of Albany, was sentenced by Judge Gardner to the same term of imprisonment, after pleading guilty to two counts of possession and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. There is no parole in the federal system.
“One cashier was shot while he was face-down, another shot in the leg. Parks and Mallory, always armed and often masked, did not hesitate to unload rounds of ammunition while demanding cash from terrified, hard-working employees of these businesses. This kind of violence will not be tolerated in Albany or elsewhere in the Middle District of Georgia, and we will seek severe prison sentences for violent criminals," said U.S. Attorney Charlie Peeler. “I want to commend the good work of the Albany Police Department and FBI who teamed up to track these defendants down and bring them to justice.
“To the victims of these robberies, including two injured by gun shots, not even this sentence will justify the pain you have gone through," said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “You feared for your lives and may never fully recover emotionally from that terror. But, hopefully knowing no one else will be threatened by them will bring some comfort to you."
“This is another example of the collaboration that the Albany Police Department has with state and federal resources in addressing criminal acts in our community. Let this be a message to those who are intent on causing chaos and disorder, that the consequences of your decisions will have lasting effects on your life," said Chief Michael Persley, Albany Police Department. “Our community has many challenges, and I am asking for community members to get involved and help our youth avoid situations like this. Many thanks to the men and women of the police department and FBI who worked tirelessly to bring these subjects to justice. There is more work to be done, but together we can continue to keep the good in the Good Life City."
The defendants were involved in a violent robbery spree across Albany during 2016, both admitting guilt in a total of four of the seven robberies charged in the indictment. Parks and Mallory, armed and masked, robbed the Neighborhood Grocery on West Gordon Avenue close to midnight on September 9, 2016. During the robbery, Parks fired three shots into a locked office door, stealing a total of $8,702. A little more than two weeks later, on Sept. 23, 2016, Mallory admitted he held up the same Neighborhood Grocery Store on West Gordon Avenue, armed with a loaded 9mm pistol. Every time Mallory demanded more money from the store clerk, he would discharge his weapon into the ceiling. Five spent 9mm shell casings were found inside the store, and Mallory ran off with $3,923. The defendants held up the BP store on Dawson Road in the early morning hours of October 6, 2016 with two clerks inside. One clerk, who got on the floor when the pair walked in, armed and masked, was shot by Parks in the buttocks. The other clerk chased the defendants after they ran off on foot with cash stolen from the store, and fired his own gun at them, shattering the back windshield of a customer’s vehicle. Both Parks and Mallory, armed with handguns and wearing ski masks to cover their faces, robbed the Dawson Food Mart on Dawson Road on Nov. 3, 2016. Mallory shot the clerk in his leg.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Albany Police Department. U.S. Attorney Charlie Peeler and Assistant U.S. Attorney and Criminal Chief Michael Solis prosecuted the case for the Government. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
