News

Dollar General robbers get 7 years in prison

By Bill Moss, Published: March 10, 2017

Two men charged in the November 2015 robberies of Dollar General stores in Hendersonville and Fletcher were sentenced to more than seven years in prison after pleading guilty to the chargesin Henderson County Superior Court on Feb. 28.

On Nov. 1, 2015, two subjects robbed the Dollar General store at 25 Westside Village Road in Hendersonville. Both were wearing dark clothing, gloves, and stocking type masks to cover their faces. Both subjects were carrying silver handguns. One of the masked men confronted the employee and forced her at gunpoint to the office at the back of the store. He forced her to place the money stored in the office into a black bag. He then escorted her to the safe and made her place the money from the safe into the bag. The robbers exited from the back of the store and left with $4321.03.

Two weeks later, on Nov. 15, the same two subjects robbed the Dollar General store at 3957 Hendersonville Road in Fletcher. They were wearing Halloween masks and again carrying silver handguns. One subject forced an employee at gunpoint to the back of the store, made him leave his cell phone, and then return to the front of the store. The other subject forced another employee at gunpoint to empty the safe and relinquish her cell phone. Both subjects then ran from the back of the store and left the area. The robbers got away with $994.10.

Through the thorough investigations of the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office and the Fletcher Police Department, the subjects were identified as Jasper Marshall, of 149 Brookside Camp Road, and Ozni Baez, of 1202 Greenville Highway. On February 28, 2017, Marshall and Baez each pled guilty to two counts of Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon and were both sentenced to 89 months in prison.

“I want to thank the victims in these cases for their cooperation," District Attorney Greg Newman said. "It takes a lot of courage and this was a very traumatic experience for them to go through. We appreciate the good investigative work of the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office and the Fletcher Police Department. The evidence was strong in both cases and we are glad for the positive resolution."

Superior Court Judge Jeff Hunt sentenced Marshall and Baez to seven years and five months in prison.

"We are very satisfied with the sentence from Judge Hunt," Newman said. "They claimed that the weapons were fake, and maybe they were, but it does not matter. Unfortunately these types of crimes are often linked to drug use. Whatever the motivation was in this case, it is intolerable. We have to hold them accountable.”

In other cases:

— Christopher Bradley, of 944 Mid Allen Road, Hendersonville, pled guilty to Felony Larceny from Person and was sentenced to 17 months in prison.

— Casey Burnett, of 819 6th Avenue West, Hendersonville, pled guilty to Attempted Common Law Robbery and Obtaining Property by False Pretense. Burnett was sentenced to 21 months in prison.

— Jeremy Summey, of 405 Jackson Loop Road, Hendersonville, pled guilty to Flee to Elude and Larceny of a Motor Vehicle. Summey was sentenced to 38 months in prison.

In Transylvania County:

— Douglas Holcomb, of 228 Cassell Road, pled guilty to Felony Larceny and Possession of a Firearm by Felon. Holcomb was sentenced to 52 months in prison.

— Lawson Lowrance, of 42 Jonathan Drive, Pisgah Forest, pled guilty to Felony Probation Violation. Lowrance’s probation status was revoked and his sentence of 17 months in prison was activated.

Hunt presided in both counties.