Second charged in series of Youngstown-area armed robberies

 U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman announced that an information charge was filed against Edgar Ramirez, age 22, of Youngstown, Ohio. Ramirez is charged with three counts of interference with commerce by means of robbery and three counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

Melvin Lee Jackson was previously charged in this matter.

According to court documents, from December 17 to December 21, 2019, Ramirez and Jackson are accused of robbing a Speedway in Boardman, a Subway in Youngstown and a Kwik Fill in Struthers. During each robbery, Ramirez and Jackson allegedly held store employees at gunpoint and demanded money.

An information charge is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offenses and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio would like to acknowledge and thank investigators with the Mahoning County Juvenile Justice Center and the Youngstown, Boardman, and Struthers police departments for their cooperation with this matter. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasmine Makridis.