Press Release
☷Three Plead Guilty in Violent Robbery Attempt
Federal Bureau of Investigation ( By Press Release office)
May 05,2022
| 28| 1
Three Plead Guilty in Violent Robbery Attempt Defendants Wearing Ski Masks Opened Fire on Victims While Trying to Steal Marijuana and Cash CHARLOTTESVILLE , Va . – Three Charlottesville men have pleaded guilty to the attempted violent armed robbery of an Albemarle County man who they believed was in possession of a large amount of marijuana and cash . Tyreek Saquan Ragland , 24 , Madison Wonne Zelee , 26 , and Tyrel Anthony Dowell , 22 , all pled guilty to their role in an armed home invasion and attempted robbery . Ragland , the leader who organized the robbery plan , pled guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery . Zelee and Dowell both pled guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon . The Hobbs Act prohibits actual or attempted robbery affecting interstate or foreign commerce in any way or degree and carries a maximum prison term of twenty years . Felons found in possession of a firearm face a prison term of up to ten years . “From day one , I have emphasized that our strategy for combatting violent crime starts with targeted enforcement efforts and building community trust , and this case represents the core of that strategy , ” United States Attorney Christopher R . Kavanaugh said today . “When a crime like this occurs , it upsets the sense of safety and security that we all feel in our community . By using federal resources to prosecute the most violent offenders in cases like this , we will continue to build that community trust in federal , state , and local law enforcement efforts to address and reduce violent crime . ”“The brazen and calculated attempts of these defendants to rob these victims , coupled with the discharge of weapons , demonstrates the seriousness of this crime and the potential consequences to the victims . The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate these violent crimes and holding these criminals accountable as we collectively seek justice for the victims , ” said Stanley M . Meador , Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division . “Law enforcement agencies can most effectively respond to crime when they work in a collaborative fashion , ” said Colonel Sean Reeves , Albemarle County Chief of Police . “Cases like this highlights the success of the coordinated approach that Albemarle County Police Department takes to ensure the safety of the community we serve . ”According to court documents , Ragland and his accomplices , Zelee and Dowell , targeted the first victim for robbery because they believed he would be in possession of a large quantity of marijuana and U . S . currency at his home in Albemarle County . On the afternoon of September 30 , 2021 , Zelee knocked on the intended victim’s front door and employed a ruse designed to gain entry by claiming he had lost his dog and needed to find it . Dowell , wearing a ski mask , was then seen walking from the woods towards the residence , at which point the intended victim refused to open the front door . Zelee and Dowell fled the scene in the getaway vehicle driven by Ragland . Shortly after this confrontation , the intended victim notified his father of the incident , who then joined him to search for the vehicle in which Ragland , Zelee , and Dowell had fled . While father and son were out searching , a witness who had remained at the intended victim’s residence called them to report a pizza delivery person was at the house trying to deliver a pizza . Well aware that no pizza order had been placed , the intended victim instructed the witness not to open the door and immediately returned home . When he arrived , the intended victim observed a vehicle parked along the side of the road near his home that matched the one seen earlier occupied by the defendants . Upon hearing that the pizza delivery man was adamant that someone had placed a pizza order for that address , the intended victim became concerned that the suspicious individuals from the vehicle parked along the street may now be hiding in the woods again . Sensing danger , father and son decided to leave again and had entered their car when Zelee and Dowell came out of the wood line and began shooting at them , striking their vehicle . After the gunfire , Zelee and Dowell rejoined Ragland and fled the scene for the second time . The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Albemarle County Police Department are investigating the case . Assistant U . S . Attorney Ronald M . Huber is prosecuting the case .
PLAY the NEWS
* May be useful for visually impaired persons .
Press release information:
Direct link to press release:
Click here .
