CHARLOTTE, N.C. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - North Carolina, Western), published as received.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Acting U.S. Attorney William T. Stetzer announced today that James Edward Massey, 27, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell, for the robbery of a Circle K convenience store.

Robert R. Wells, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer in making today’s announcement.

According to filed court documents and statements made in court, on August 24, 2020, at approximately 4:04 a.m., Massey approached the Circle K convenience store located at 4801 Central Avenue, in Charlotte. Inside the Circle K were a store employee and a vendor making a delivery. Court records show that the store employee saw Massey standing outside and unlocked the front door, thinking that Massey was a customer. Massey entered the store brandishing a semi-automatic handgun, pointed the firearm at the store employee and ordered him to hand over cash from the register. Massey threatened to shoot the employee and the vendor if the employee did not comply. The employee handed Massey approximately $70 from the register and Massey fled the scene on foot.

On August 27, 2020, CMPD’s Armed Robbery Unit received two Crime Stopper tips identifying Massey as the suspect in the Circle K robbery. Following an investigation, law enforcement arrested Massey in connection with robbery of the convenience store.

On April 16, 2021, Massey pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery and Hobbs Act Robbery.

Massey is currently in custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. 

In making today’s announcement, Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer thanked the FBI and CMPD for handling the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.