RALEIGH– The United States Attorney’s Office announced that today in federal court, United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced BERNARD SINGLETON, 67, of Clinton, Maryland to 108 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
SINGLETON was named in an Indictment filed on August 19, 2015, charging him with Robbery of a Business Engaged in Interstate Commerce and Aiding and Abetting on January 18, 2015. On November 12, 2015, SINGLETON pled guilty to the charge.
On January 18, 2015, SINGLETON and an accomplice entered the ZMart convenience store in Oxford, North Carolina, and locked the door behind them. SINGLETON pointed a firearm at the clerk while the accomplice walked behind the counter and punched the victim in the face. SINGLETON approached the victim, who was on the ground, put the gun to the back of his head, and demanded money. The accomplice removed money from the cash register. SINGLETON forced the victim into the office and demanded money from the safe, which was on a 10-minute delay. While waiting for the safe to open, SINGLETON kept the gun pointed on the victim’s head. SINGLETON and the accomplice removed the money from the safe. They also stole the victim’s wallet, which contained United States currency along with his credit cards and driver’s license. SINGLETON and the accomplice stole $9,100 in United States currency, which included several old coins, and cartons of cigarettes.
This case was part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative which encourages federal, state, and local agencies to cooperate in a unified “team effort” against gun crime, targeting repeat offenders who continually plague their communities.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Oxford Police Department, Creedmoor Police Department and the State Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney S. Katherine Burnette prosecuted the case for the government.