The Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office has announced the sentencing of four individuals involved in an armed robbery that occurred in a subdivision in 2022.
In separate hearings held on March 8, Omar Sheriff-Tyhear Faines, 20, from Acworth, Kristopher Devon Maxey, 21, from Canton, and Nasir De’shawn Stover, 17, from Holly Springs, each entered guilty pleas to multiple charges including armed robbery, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during a felony, and robbery by sudden snatching. Superior Court Judge Tony Baker sentenced each of them to 20 years in prison, with the first 10 years to be served behind bars.
The fourth co-defendant, Courtney Anthony Watson, 19, from Acworth, pleaded guilty on September 20, 2023, to similar charges along with possession of a firearm by a first-offender probationer. Watson received a 30-year sentence, with 20 years to be served in confinement and the remainder on probation.
According to the district attorney’s office, the incident took place around 2:30 a.m. on November 3, 2022, when all four individuals traveled to the Waverly Park neighborhood near Holly Springs. Faines and Stover exited the vehicle and began walking through the neighborhood while Maxey drove with Watson in the passenger seat. After picking up two acquaintances of Watson and stopping at a convenience store, they returned to the neighborhood. It was then that Faines and Stover, wearing ski masks and armed with guns, approached the victims, stealing an iPhone 13 and a small switchblade.
After realizing they had left a cell phone behind, Watson contacted one of the victims, offering to exchange phones. Upon returning to the scene, Watson snatched the victim’s phone but did not return the stolen one. The victims reported the incident to the authorities, leading to the quick apprehension of the suspects by the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office and the Holly Springs Police.
Inside the vehicle, law enforcement discovered a handgun, ski masks, and the stolen items. Assistant District Attorney Kelly Chavis, who prosecuted the case, revealed that some of the defendants were associated with the Bloods street gang, as evidenced by their use of gang terminology during the robbery.
Further investigation revealed that all four individuals had ties to the Bloods gang. Watson even attempted to recruit Faines into a Bloods subset while incarcerated.
During the plea hearing, Stover disclosed that he had been initiated into the Bloods at the age of 13.
As part of their sentencing, the co-defendants are prohibited from returning to Cherokee County or contacting each other or the victims. Additionally, they are subject to gang-related conditions, including no contact with any member or associate of a criminal street gang.
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District Attorney Susan Treadaway emphasized the seriousness of gang-related crimes, highlighting the violent nature of the robbery and its impact on the community. She expressed relief that the perpetrators are now serving prison sentences and have been barred from the county for the safety of its residents.