Two Women Sentenced To Over 20 Years In Prison For Armed Robberies Of Taxi Cab Drivers And Gas Station Employees In Milwaukee

Matthew D. Krueger, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that two women and one man were sentenced to prison for their involvement in several armed robberies of taxi cab drivers and two gas stations in Milwaukee in August 2018.

On March 5, 2020, United State District Court Judge J.P. Stadtmueller sentenced Nickie Foster to 25 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.  Foster was convicted of committing four armed robberies of taxi cab drivers and an armed robbery at the Petro Mart gas station on Chase Avenue in Milwaukee, during which Foster shot the gas station employee in the head, causing life-threatening injury.

On October 31, 2019, Judge Stadtmueller sentenced Marquel Johnson to 28 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.  Johnson was convicted of committing five armed robberies of taxi cab drivers, the armed robbery of the Petro Mart, and an armed robbery of a BP gas station in downtown Milwaukee.

On December 19, 2019, Judge Stadtmeuller sentenced Martell Ford to 114 months (9 years, 6 months) in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.  Ford was convicted of committing one armed robbery of a taxi cab driver and aiding and abetting the BP gas station robbery.

With respect to the taxi cab robberies, on August 22 and August 23, 2018, Foster was the passenger in several taxi cabs when she brandished a firearm and demanded money and other items from the drivers.  During the course of these robberies, Foster pointed a silver handgun at the taxi cab drivers, and, on one occasion, discharged the firearm after leaving the taxi cab.  During the Petro Mart gas station robbery on August 23, 2018, Foster entered the Petro Mart with Marquel Johnson.

Foster brandished a silver handgun and proceeded to shoot the gas station employee in the head. Foster then emptied the cash from the register while Johnson took possession of the firearm and pointed it toward the gas station employee, who was on the ground.   On August 25, 2018, Johnson and Martell Ford entered the BP gas station. Johnson pointed a silver handgun at the clerk and demanded money. The clerk locked the doors to the store, trapping Johnson in the store. Eventually, Johnson was able to exit the store. Later that day, after engaging in a vehicle pursuit with law enforcement, Johnson was arrested. Police officers recovered a silver handgun from Johnson when she was arrested.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Milwaukee Area Violent Crimes Task Force and the Milwaukee Police Department.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Margaret B. Honrath.