RALEIGH – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that a Federal grand jury in Raleigh has returned a five-count indictment charging CHARLES ANTHONY WALKER, JR., age 53, of High Point, North Carolina, CHRISTOPHER WELLINGTON BROWN, age 48, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, MALIK SHAWN MAYNARD, age 48, of Durham, North Carolina, BYRON JACOBEE SPARKS, age 25, of Greensboro, North Carolina, and JOEY WAYNE CHAMBERS, age 23, of High Point, North Carolina, with various offenses in relation to the armed robberies of Kay Jewelers in Elizabeth City and Garner, North Carolina.

The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to rob the Kay Jewelers located on Conlon Way in Elizabeth City to take place on July 28, 2018, as well as the Kay Jewelers located on Eagle Wing Way in Garner on October 11, 2018.  During the robberies of both Kay Jewelers locations, BROWN and MAYNARD brandished firearms and were aided and abetted by WALKER.      

If convicted of these charges, WALKER, BROWN, and MAYNARD, each face a sentence not less than 32 years’ imprisonment and not more than 5 years supervised release, while CHAMBERS and SPARKS face up to 20 years’ imprisonment and not more than 3 years supervised release. 

The charges and allegations contained in the Indictment are merely accusations.  The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

This case is part of the Take Back North Carolina Initiative, a strategy implemented by United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.  This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Elizabeth City Police Department, the Garner Police Department, and the Greensboro Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. Dodson and Daniel William Smith are prosecuting the case for the government.