Proving teamwork pays off, investigators from the Statesboro Police Department and Georgia Southern University Police arrested three men Monday night, just hours after forming a partnership to solve a rash of recent armed robberies that took place near the university campus.
Harvey Lee Green, 20, B. Street, Thompson; Troy Donavan Hart Jr., 20, White Oak Road, Thompson; and Devaris Demingo Hampton, 20, Pecan Avenue, Thompson, were all taken to the Bulloch County Jail after surveillance operations paid off, said Statesboro Police Chief Stan York.
Statesboro Police detectives teamed up with GSU Police detectives and uniformed officers Monday night to conduct “a joint investigation which directly led to the arrests of three offenders who are suspected to be directly responsible for a series of armed robberies which began March 20 ... in apartment complexes around the university campus,” he said.
Green was charged with nine counts of armed robbery, nine counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, nine counts of possession of a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school, one count of cocaine possession, one count of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and was also wanted on a warrant from McDuffie County, York said.
Hart was charged with two counts of armed robbery, two counts possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and possession of a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school.
Hampton was charged with one count of armed robbery and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, he said.
After eight armed robberies in the area, many of which involved a suspect asking for change for a large bill or asking for a cigarette, police stepped up investigations and asked GSU police to assist, he said.
“Information (obtained during investigations) led law enforcement officers to campus Club Apartment, University Pines Apartments and The Pointe at Southern Apartments,” he said.
Hart was arrested after surveillance efforts led to a traffic stop conducted by Statesboro Police Advanced Patrol Officer Charles Bowen and Det. Ben Purvis.
While conducting surveillance at The Pointe at Southern, Statesboro Police Det. Ken Scott “observed two suspects fitting the description (of robbery suspects) provide by tipsters,” he said.
Scott and GSU Police Lt. Wayne McKinney entered the building and placed green and Hampton under arrest after finding a firearm, marijuana and cocaine in the apartment, York said.
In addition to the three arrested in connection to the armed robberies, police made a fourth arrest of a man not connected to the robberies, but who was riding in the car Hart was driving.
Rafeal Donsia Tutt was found to have a weapon, and while he was not involved in the armed robberies, he was charged with carrying weapons on school property and carrying a concealed weapon, he said.
All three men suspected to be involved in the robberies are from Thompson, Ga., he said.
“None of the suspects arrested in this case are Georgia Southern University students or affiliated with the university,” York said.
The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information regarding the series of eight armed robberies near the university campus is asked to contact Statesboro Police Det. Keith Holloway at (912) 212-2306 or GSU Police Capt. Laura McCullough at (912) 478-5234.
York expressed appreciation for assistance by the GSU Police Department. “This cooperative effort between law enforcement agencies was successful in removing violent offenders who prey on innocent victims from our community,” he said.
Harvey Lee Green, 20, B. Street, Thompson; Troy Donavan Hart Jr., 20, White Oak Road, Thompson; and Devaris Demingo Hampton, 20, Pecan Avenue, Thompson, were all taken to the Bulloch County Jail after surveillance operations paid off, said Statesboro Police Chief Stan York.
Statesboro Police detectives teamed up with GSU Police detectives and uniformed officers Monday night to conduct “a joint investigation which directly led to the arrests of three offenders who are suspected to be directly responsible for a series of armed robberies which began March 20 ... in apartment complexes around the university campus,” he said.
Green was charged with nine counts of armed robbery, nine counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, nine counts of possession of a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school, one count of cocaine possession, one count of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and was also wanted on a warrant from McDuffie County, York said.
Hart was charged with two counts of armed robbery, two counts possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and possession of a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school.
Hampton was charged with one count of armed robbery and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, he said.
After eight armed robberies in the area, many of which involved a suspect asking for change for a large bill or asking for a cigarette, police stepped up investigations and asked GSU police to assist, he said.
“Information (obtained during investigations) led law enforcement officers to campus Club Apartment, University Pines Apartments and The Pointe at Southern Apartments,” he said.
Hart was arrested after surveillance efforts led to a traffic stop conducted by Statesboro Police Advanced Patrol Officer Charles Bowen and Det. Ben Purvis.
While conducting surveillance at The Pointe at Southern, Statesboro Police Det. Ken Scott “observed two suspects fitting the description (of robbery suspects) provide by tipsters,” he said.
Scott and GSU Police Lt. Wayne McKinney entered the building and placed green and Hampton under arrest after finding a firearm, marijuana and cocaine in the apartment, York said.
In addition to the three arrested in connection to the armed robberies, police made a fourth arrest of a man not connected to the robberies, but who was riding in the car Hart was driving.
Rafeal Donsia Tutt was found to have a weapon, and while he was not involved in the armed robberies, he was charged with carrying weapons on school property and carrying a concealed weapon, he said.
All three men suspected to be involved in the robberies are from Thompson, Ga., he said.
“None of the suspects arrested in this case are Georgia Southern University students or affiliated with the university,” York said.
The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information regarding the series of eight armed robberies near the university campus is asked to contact Statesboro Police Det. Keith Holloway at (912) 212-2306 or GSU Police Capt. Laura McCullough at (912) 478-5234.
York expressed appreciation for assistance by the GSU Police Department. “This cooperative effort between law enforcement agencies was successful in removing violent offenders who prey on innocent victims from our community,” he said.