Man Sentenced to 5 Years After Pleading Guilty to Armed Robbery of 7-Eleven Clerk, Eluding Norfolk Police Officers During Getaway

NORFOLK, Va. — Lakeem Martez Sample, 33, was sentenced on Monday to serve five years in prison for robbing a 7-Eleven clerk at gunpoint earlier this year and eluding police officers who attempted to pull him over after the robbery.

Around 1 a.m. on March 9, Mr. Sample entered the 7-Eleven at 6900 N. Military Highway while armed with a handgun, pointed the gun at the store manager’s head, and ordered the manager to open the cash register. Mr. Sample then took about $50 from the register and fled the store in a blue Honda Civic. The store manager called Norfolk Police, and the department issued a BOLO with Mr. Sample’s physical description and vehicle information to officers. Minutes later, officers witnessed Mr. Sample driving erratically near Sewells Point Road and attempted to pull Mr. Sample over. Rather than pull over, Mr. Sample accelerated away from the officers, but he soon after crashed near the intersection of Sewells Point Road and Avenue J. Officers took Mr. Sample into custody, and the store manager of the 7-Eleven later identified Mr. Sample as the man who had just robbed him.

Mr. Sample pleaded guilty on Monday to armed robbery, using a firearm in the commission of robbery, and felony eluding. Mr. Sample agreed to be sentenced to serve five years in prison with another 13 years suspended on the conditions that he complete one year of supervised probation and two years of uniform good behavior, have no contact with the robbery victim, and be banned from all Virginia 7-Eleven stores for the duration of his probation. Judge Joseph C. Lindsey accepted Mr. Sample’s plea agreement, found him guilty of those charges, and sentenced Mr. Sample per the agreement.

“I thank the victim of this crime for helping the police investigate and us prosecute Mr. Sample,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “I also thank the Norfolk Police for their quick work in arresting Mr. Sample. Mr. Sample will now serve a sentence appropriate to his dangerous and serious actions.”

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Alberto Z. Herrero prosecuted Mr. Sample’s case on behalf of the Commonwealth, and Norfolk Police Detective Andrew J. Jowdy led the investigation.

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