A Richmond man, Jarviontae Tykee McLaurine, 26, was sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in prison for robbery and using a firearm during a crime of violence. The sentencing took place after McLaurine and two accomplices robbed a Dollar General store on October 13, 2022. According to court documents, all three individuals entered the store armed and wearing masks.
During the robbery, one robber ordered the clerk to open the register and lie on the floor. Another directed a customer to do the same, while another customer was brought to the front of the store at gunpoint. The robbers then held the store manager at gunpoint and instructed them to open another register. Two of them forced both the manager and clerk into a back office in an attempt to access more money before fleeing.
McLaurine had previous convictions related to firearms. In June 2023, he was convicted in Richmond Circuit Court for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In August 2023, he was convicted in Hanover Circuit Court for making a false statement on a criminal history consent form and attempting to possess a firearm as a felon. He was arrested again two months later and subsequently convicted in February 2024 in federal court for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. At the time of the Dollar General robbery, McLaurine was on supervised probation for two prior convictions.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division along with the Richmond Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen E. Anthony and Janet Jin Ah Lee prosecuted it.
"This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime," according to information provided by authorities. "Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN)."
Further details about this case can be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia or through PACER by searching Case Nos. 3:23-cr-164 and 3:25-cr-97.
