Two Snow Hill Men Sentenced Following Same-Day Armed Robberies of Goldsboro Bank and Convenience Store

RALEIGH – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that today in federal court, Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever, III sentenced two Snow Hill men, ISIAH KIRKMAN, 24, to 113 months of imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release and MALIK THOMAS, 22, to 98 months of imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release.

KIRKMAN and THOMAS were named in a four-count Indictment on July 11, 2017.  On January 8, 2018 both men pled guilty to one count of Interfering with Commerce By Robbery and Aiding and Abetting and one count of Discharging a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence and Aiding and Abetting.

On April 12, 2016, THOMAS and KIRKMAN entered a Handy Mart convenience store in Goldsboro and robbed a store clerk at gunpoint.  Both conspirators wore masks and gloves to conceal their identities.  During the robbery, the conspirators, both of whom possessed handguns, demanded money and stated they would kill the clerk if she failed to comply with their directives.  As the clerk attempted to open the cash register, both robbers discharged their firearms to push her to move faster.  After the clerk opened the register, the robbers stole the cash drawer, which contained $161 in U.S. currency and $50 in postage stamps, and fled from the store on foot.

THOMAS became a suspect after his cell phone was recovered from the scene of a similar robbery that had occurred earlier the same day at First Citizens Bank in Goldsboro.  On April 20, 2016, law enforcement arrested THOMAS, who acknowledged committing the April 12, 2016, robberies at Handy Mart and First Citizens Bank.  THOMAS named KIRKMAN as his armed accomplice during both robberies.

On June 14, 2016, KIRKMAN was arrested.  He was subsequently interviewed by investigators and admitted his role in both the Handy Mart and the First Citizens Bank robberies.  KIRKMAN stated he needed money to pay bills, and he was willing to do whatever to get some cash.  KIRKMAN acknowledged that both he and THOMAS had fired their weapons during the Handy Mart robbery.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Goldsboro Police Department, and Wayne County Sheriff’s Office conducted the criminal investigation of this case, with assistance from the Greene County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorney Jake D. Pugh handled the prosecution of this case for the government.