Press Release
Charlotte Man Sentenced For Brandishing AR-15 Rifle During Restaurant Robbery
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of North Carolina
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jermond Santa Lowery, Jr., 29, of Charlotte, was sentenced in federal court today to seven years in prison for brandishing an AR-15 rifle during the robbery of a Waffle House, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert M. DeWitt, 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 U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.
According to information in filed documents and court proceedings, on October 31, 2023, Lowery entered a Waffle House in Charlotte, where he brandished an AR-15 rifle. As the employees began to flee through the back door, Lowery shouted at the employees to get back and open the cash register, threatening to kill them. Court documents show that Lowery removed the cash register from the restaurant and fled the scene. CMPD officers arrested Lowery the next day.
On September 26, 2024, Lowery pleaded guilty to brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He remains in federal custody pending placement by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
The investigation was handled by the FBI and CMPD.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Updated March 27, 2025
Topic
Firearms Offenses
Component