The federal grand jury indictment was unsealed Monday, said Benjamin Glassman, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Roland Herndon, acting special agent in charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
According to investigators, the suspects would present demand notes at pharmacies that stated they were completing an armed robbery and they would kill the pharmacy employees of the employees did not comply with demands for narcotics listed in the note.
The following people are facing charges of conspiring to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, interfering with interstate commerce by robbery and possessing with the intent to distribute Oxycodone:
- Courtney Byrd, 21, of Trotwood
- Damar L. Kerley, 21, of Dayton
- James P. Taylor Jr., 19, of Dayton
- Cameron Redd, 21, of Cincinnati
- Ja'Mical Betts, 20, of Dayton
- Dasean Whitehead, 19, of Dayton
- Justin Jefferson Jr., 19, of Dayton
- Rodney Robbins II, 19, of Trotwood
- Philmore Alexander IV, 19, of Dayton
The robberies happened at the following locations:
- April 16: Rite Aid, Linden Avenue in Dayton
- April 26: Rite Aid, McAdams Drive in New Carlisle
- May 22: CVS, Sawmill Road in Columbus
- June 2: CVS, Montgomery Road in Norwood
- June 7: CVS, Montgomery Road in Silverton
- July 5: Rite Aid, North Wolf Creek Street in Brookville
- Aug. 4: Rite Aid, West National Road in Vandalia
- Aug. 8: Rite Aid, South Allison Avenue in Xenia
- Aug. 17: Rite Aid on Central Avenue in Middletown
- Sept. 5: Rite Aid on Linden Avenue in Dayton
- Oct. 15, Rite Aide on Union Boulevard in Englewood
Each of the three crimes is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
This case is at least the second alleged serial pharmacy robbery operation broken up in the Dayton area.
A year ago, Jamie D. Williams was sentenced in what prosecutors called a string of 36 burglaries across the region dating back to 2016.
In that case, alleged ringleader Jamar "Boo" Warren of Dayton and seven other defendants were indicted on 10 counts related to pharmacy robberies where product was then sold on the streets.
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