Jacksonville man convicted of robbing a McDonald’s from the drive-thru window

A Jacksonville man faces life in prison after a jury found him guilty of armed robbery and several other counts in connection with a robbery of a local fast-food restaurant in 2012. Police said the man approached the closed McDonald’s at drive-thru window and asked employees to let him inside, according to a report from News4Jax. When the employee told him no, the man pointed a gun at him and demanded all of the money in the register, the television station reported. The suspect then fired a shot into the window, reached through the glass, took the money and ran away, the television station reported.

Police found him that evening, with the gun used in the robbery and $700 cash in his pocket, the television station reported. The man was charged with several Duval County felonies, the biggest being armed robbery. He was also charged with armed possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana which is also a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison. The same marijuana charge without a gun is a third-degree felony with a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The armed robbery charge, though, is the most severe, and the one for which he could face a life sentence. Often times the two words are used interchangeably, but there is a huge difference between burglary and robbery in Jacksonville Theft Cases. A burglary is taking something from a home or a car without a confrontation. Robbery is taking something directly from a person, with violence or the threat of violence. For example, a Jacksonville Theft Case is a burglary when someone breaks into a car and takes a cell phone, or even just opens an unlocked car door and takes things from the vehicle. Burglary is a third-degree felony – unless the home or vehicle is occupied, even if the suspect doesn’t know people are there. Then it becomes a second-degree felony. The basic point in the felony degrees is, the more directly the crime relates to threatening or injuring a person, the more severe the crime and the punishment.

In this Jacksonville Robbery Case, the suspect was convicted of firing a gun, which brings the life sentence into play. The life sentence is not automatic, as it is in a first-degree murder case and in some Jacksonville Sex Crimes Cases, but it’s certainly a possibility, given the facts of the case. Our Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorney is experienced in all types of Jacksonville Theft Cases – from misdemeanor petit theft cases on up to burglary and armed robbery.

If you or a loved one needs a criminal defense attorney in Jacksonville or the surrounding area, call The Mussallem Law Firm at (904) 365-5200 for a FREE CONSULTATION. Our Jacksonville Theft Attorney, Victoria “Tori” Mussallem, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.