SAVANNAH, GA – A second Savannah man has admitted taking part in the March 2019 robbery of a bar that left a U.S. Army serviceman wounded.
Justin Alexander Campbell, 20, pled guilty in U.S. District Court to Interference with Commerce by Robbery, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, followed by a period of supervised release. A co-defendant, Anthony Curtis Raife, 24, previously pled guilty to Possessing a Short-Barreled Shotgun in Furtherance of a Violent Crime and awaits sentencing. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Our law enforcement partners have done an outstanding job in tracking down the violent criminals responsible for this robbery and getting them off of our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “A prison sentence will put them where they belong: behind bars.”
According to court documents and testimony, Campbell and Raife entered the rear door of Brewer’s Sports Pub and Grill on Ogeechee Road on March 24, 2019. Both carried firearms and pointed the weapons at patrons during the robbery. One of the customers, who was an active-duty U.S. Army serviceman, witnessed the robbery and helped other patrons escape. The serviceman then went unarmed to the rear of the bar and was shot after he punched one of the robbers in the face. Both robbers then fled; the soldier was treated for a bullet wound and recovered.
Raife was located and arrested soon after the robbery, while Campbell was taken into custody in Virginia and returned to Georgia for prosecution.
“We are so fortunate that a brave soldier did not lose his life because of the brazen act of violence,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Thankfully because of his actions and the actions of our local law enforcement partners, neither of these subjects will be able to strike fear in innocent business patrons for a long, long time.”
“Chatham County Police Department officers and detectives were tireless in their efforts to solve this case,” said Chatham County Police Department Police Chief Jeff Hadley. “Criminals should understand that we will pursue every lead, collect every piece of evidence, and work as long as necessary to ensure the safety of our streets and our citizens.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Chatham County Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.