Wilmington man pleads guilty to robbing convenience stores
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington man is going to prison for at least eight years for robbing convenience stores last summer.
The New Hanover County District Attorney’s Office says James Jeffrey Ramsey, 50, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to two counts of Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon, two counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and one count of Larceny by Employee.
On August 22, 2017, Ramsey entered the Scotchman store at 898 S. Kerr Avenue and robbed the clerk at gunpoint. He stole more than $120 in cash and several packs of Newport cigarettes.
The following month, on September 20, he robbed a clerk working at the Phoenix Mart at 2238 S. 17th Street, getting away with $170 from the cash register.
Both robberies were captured on video surveillance at the stores, which ultimately helped officers identify Ramsey.
Upon his arrest, Ramsey admitted to robbing the stores, claiming that he had been using a BB gun to commit the offenses.
Ramsey’s larceny conviction stemmed from his brief employment at another local store.
The owner of the Shop-N-Go, located at 1620 Market Street, reportedly hired Ramsey in February of 2017.
Four months later, that owner contacted police after reviewing his store’s surveillance videos.
On the footage, the defendant was shown bagging up 18 cartons of Newport cigarettes and giving them to another person who left without paying.
This is not Ramsey’s first conviction. In 2005, Ramsey was convicted of Robbery in Monmouth County, New Jersey.
