On January 21, 2020 Elijah Hallman, 30, and Cameron Hallman, 27, were sentenced to prison in connection with the armed robberies of two fast food restaurants in Charlotte, NC.
Elijah was sentenced to 231 months in prison. Cameron previously pleaded guilty for his role in the robberies and was sentenced to 180 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
Trial evidence shows Elijah recruited his cousin and co-defendant, Cameron to commit the robberies. Over the course of the armed robberies, Cameron operated as the getaway driver, and Elijah acted as the gunman.
Around 2:00 a.m. on April 11, 2018, the two men drove to a Wendy’s restaurant located at 7900 Arrowridge Blvd in Charlotte, where Cameron placed a drive-through order while Elijah concealed himself nearby.
When Cameron pulled up to the window, Elijah walked up and stuck a pistol through the drive-through window, pointed it at the cashier, and demanded money. Cameron then pulled off as though he was not associated with Elijah, and a short while later the pair met up across the street.
The Wendy’s robbery was largely unsuccessful, as the cashier only threw $5.00 at Elijah and ran away to another part of the restaurant. As a result, the suspects decided to commit a second armed robbery. About 30 minutes after the Wendy’s robbery, Elijah and Cameron stopped at a McDonald’s restaurant located at 4440 S. Tryon Street in Charlotte.
They executed the same plan in the same manner, however, in this robbery, Elijah ripped out the entire cash drawer and carried it off. The robbery netted the pair approximately $360.00. While leaving the McDonald’s parking lot to meet up with Cameron, Elijah dropped some loose change from the cash drawer and a cell phone. Evidence established that the recovered cell phone belonged to Elijah, who had used it to communicate with Cameron, and that the cell phone was in the vicinity of the restaurants during both robberies.
In April 2019, a federal jury convicted Elijah of Hobbs Act robbery, which is the robbery of a business engaged in interstate commerce; conspiracy to commit robbery; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of the robbery.
Elijah is currently in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.
