Two Whiteville Men Pled Guilty to Bank Robbery and Firing Weapons at Law Enforcement Officers

RALEIGH - United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that in federal court today, RASHAD DAVONTE YOUNG, 27, and JERAMIE ROSS VAUGHN, 30, of Whiteville, North Carolina pled guilty in Raleigh before United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle to one count of Bank Robbery and one count of Discharging a Firearm in Furtherance of a Bank Robbery.

On January 23, 2018, at approximately 3:35PM, YOUNG, VAUGHN, and two co-conspirators entered the PNC Bank in Lumberton, North Carolina where they held the PNC Bank employees and a customer at gunpoint while they stole over $40,000 in United States Currency.   They were in the bank for approximately 10 minutes.  When the Lumberton Police Department responded to the scene of the robbery, they observed a gray-in-color Saturn, matching descriptions given by witnesses, near the PNC Bank.  They initiated a vehicle pursuit with the fleeing vehicle.

During the pursuit, VAUGHN was the getaway driver and YOUNG was seated in the back passenger seat.  The perpetrators fired their weapons at law enforcement during the vehicle pursuit, striking six Lumberton Police Department vehicles and one Robeson County Sheriff’s Office vehicle.  Specifically, at one point, while the Saturn was stopped, VAUGHN fired shots at law enforcement.  YOUNG also fired at law enforcement using a Tech-9 gun.  When the Saturn reached a convenience store in Lumberton, YOUNG jumped out of the vehicle and fled on foot.  VAUGHN continued to drive through Columbus County, where the vehicle was abandoned, and the remaining three perpetrators escaped into the woods.

The following day, approximately thirty hours after the robbery, VAUGHN was located by a homeowner in Lumberton.  He was wet and cold, and was wearing the same clothing that was captured on the bank surveillance video.  YOUNG was arrested during a traffic stop on January 25, 2018.   Both individuals provided confessions to law enforcement about their roles in the robbery.

VAUGHN faces a sentence of not less than 20 years and up to life along with a fine up to $500,000 and up to 5 years of supervised release at sentencing.

YOUNG faces a sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life along with a fine up to $500,000 and up to 5 years of supervised release at sentencing.

Daquan Madrid Pridgen and Demetris Sean Robinson have also been charged in connection with this case and their cases are pending.

Mr. Higdon commented:  “We are pleased to have resolved the cases against these two defendants so promptly.  Jeopardizing people’s safety and risking the lives of law enforcement officers will not be tolerated in this federal district.  Two defendants have not yet concluded their cases and we look forward to presenting their cases to a trial jury in the near-future so we may see justice served come and all who are responsible are held responsible.”

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.

Investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lumberton Police Department, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Peggah B. Wilson handled the prosecution of this case for the government.