NORFOLK, Va. — Two men were sentenced to prison for their involvement in a string of robberies over a two-day span in March 2022, the City of Norfolk announced Monday.
Alonzo Wilson III, 27, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, while his accomplice, 24-year-old Daniel Carter, was sentenced to four years in prison.
The first robbery occurred at a Dollar General on Chesapeake Boulevard on March 2, 2022. Carter drove Wilson to the store where Wilson attempted to steal money from the cash register, police said. The store clerk closed the drawer before Wilson could grab any money and after failed attempts to open it, Wilson ran out of the store.
Later that day, Carter drove Wilson to a Navy Federal Credit Union branch where Wilson robbed a patron who had just withdrawn cash from an ATM, officials said. The patron did not willingly hand over their wallet, however, and a "tussle" ensued -- catching the attention of the business owner who called 911.
Wilson fled the scene before officers arrived, but surveillance footage showed Carter circling the parking lot and Wilson re-entering the car before leaving.
Wilson and Carter were linked to a third robbery that occurred just a couple of hours later at a Chartway Federal Credit Union. Here, police said Wilson managed to snatch about $140 from a patron who had just withdrawn $500 from an ATM. That patron suffered "noticeable bruising and scratches on her hands" in the struggle, according to authorities.
The fourth robbery happened on March 3, 2022, when Carter once again drove Wilson to the scene of the crime. While holding the door open for a Truist Bank patron, police allege Wilson tried to grab the $400 in cash the patron had just withdrawn. The two "fought to the ground" but Wilson managed to escape with some of the cash.
Each of the four businesses robbed had surveillance video showing Wilson and Carter at the scene, investigators said. Through these videos, investigators were able to confirm the driver was Carter, who eventually identified Wilson as the prime suspect.
Wilson was located and arrested on April 17, 2022, when a bail bondsman asked law enforcement to assist in apprehending him. Police found him at an apartment that they subsequently searched and found evidence connecting him to the robberies.
“Mr. Wilson’s series of crimes traumatized multiple victims and created a serious risk of violence,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “Mr. Wilson’s sentence reflects the gravity of his crimes. While Mr. Carter did his best to make amends for enabling Mr. Wilson’s robberies, he too is responsible for Mr. Wilson’s actions, and he too has been held accountable for the risk of violence he helped create.”
In July, both men were convicted of multiple charges stemming from the robberies. Wilson pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery by force, attempted armed robbery, attempted robbery by threat and the use of a firearm in the commission of robbery. Carter pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiring to commit robbery by force, one count of conspiring to commit armed robbery and one count of conspiring to commit robbery by threat.
