3 convicted in connection to Suffolk armed robberies

SUFFOLK, Va. — Three people from Suffolk and Portsmouth have been convicted in connection to armed robberies in Suffolk and attempting to dispose of evidence.

According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), from November 2020 through February 2022, 36-year-old Harry Lee Lewis IV of Suffolk and 29-year-old Dennis Lee Adamson Jr. of Portsmouth planned and carried out armed robberies of convenience stores.

During the robberies, Lewis shot a semiautomatic gun into the ceiling of the store when he entered, scaring employees and customers, the DOJ said.

The duo robbed at least five stores together. During a robbery of the EZ Food Mart & Deli in Suffolk on Feb. 3, 2022, Adamson fired several rounds, narrowly missing a store employee, before Lewis grabbed a cash register and the two men fled.

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Lewis and Adamson also committed other robberies separately, according to the DOJ.

Lewis robbed a 7-Eleven store on Feb. 1, 2022, while Adamson robbed a Dollar General store in Portsmouth on Oct. 14, 2022 month after Lewis was arrested, the DOJ said.

On Feb. 15, 2022, while in detention before trial, Lewis video-called 32-year-old Ieisha Marie Adamson of Portsmouth, directing her to remove items from his vehicle that law enforcement hadn't found during a search a week before.

According to the DOJ, those items included a box of ammunition from a secret compartment in the vehicle. About two hours later, police encountered her, but she no longer had the box.

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Lewis was convicted of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, six counts of interference with commerce by robbery, three counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. 

He faces a mandatory minimum of 24 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison when sentenced, the DOJ said.

Adamson was convicted of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, six counts of interference with commerce by robbery, and two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. 

According to the DOJ, he faces a mandatory minimum of 17 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.

Adamson was convicted of accessory after the fact and misprision of a felony. She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

All three are scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 19.