U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. | U.S. Department of Justice
A New York man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for robbing a store in Knightdale, North Carolina. Mekhi Marquise Hooi, aged 20, pleaded guilty on September 19, 2024, to charges of Hobbs Act Robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Court documents reveal that Hooi entered the Lowest Price Tobacco and Vape shop in Knightdale, armed with a 9mm firearm. He demanded money and tobacco products from the clerk while threatening to shoot if the clerk did not comply quickly. Hooi fled the scene but was later apprehended in New York City and extradited to North Carolina for trial.
The announcement of Hooi's sentencing was made by Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, following the sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Knightdale Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles E. Loeser prosecuting the case.
