Three More Charged with Internet Cafe Robberies Including One that Resulted in Deaths of Owners

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Three more Columbus men have been charged in a case involving the murder of a husband and wife in an internet café.

Chris A. King, 24, Justice B. Stringer, 24, and Brisco Dawkins, 50, were indicted by a federal grand jury on July 18.

Dezhan Townsend, 20, and Desjuan Harris, 24, were previously charged by federal criminal complaint and are included in the indictment as well.

Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Interim Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan and Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Ron O’Brien announced the charges unsealed today after the defendants appeared in federal court.

According to court documents, on January 20, three defendants robbed Players Paradise on East Broad Street at gunpoint. Townsend, Stringer and King allegedly murdered security guard Joseph Arrington and then his wife, employee Karen Arrington.

An affidavit details that defendants entered the café around 4am on January 20 and positioned themselves near the office door. One person sat at a game as if he was playing it. When Karen Arrington attempted to enter the office, the defendants, armed with handguns, immediately confronted armed security guard Joseph Arrington.

All five men face charges of robbery.

Townsend, Stringer and King are charged with two counts of murder. King is also charged with committing murder with the intent to prevent a witness from providing information to law enforcement.

Townsend, Harris, Stinger and Dawkins are also charged with brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

Columbus SWAT officers arrested Townsend and Harris on Wednesday, July 3. They arrested Dawkins and Stringer today. The new charges were unsealed today after Dawkins and Stringer appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Chelsey M. Vascura, who ordered them held without bond.

King remains at large. If you have any information about his whereabouts, please contact the Columbus Division of Police at 614-645-4545.

U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI and Columbus Police, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys David M. DeVillers and Kevin Kelley, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Lowe with the Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, who are representing the United States.

Criminal complaints and indictments merely contain allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.