Escambia Man Sentenced For Cigarette Robberies

May 17, 2018

An Escambia County has been  sentenced to over a decade in prison for stealing cigarettes from four convenience stores .

James Levoy Foster II, 46, was sentenced by Circuit Judge John Miller to 12.5 years in state prison.

Foster pled guilty to three counts of robbery without a weapon, one count of robbery with a  weapon, and one count of resisting an  officer without violence. The four convenience store robberies occurred between June 11 and July 17, 2017.

On June 11, 2017, Foster entered the Tom Thumb on Creighton Road, walked behind the cashier’s counter, and began to take several packs of cigarettes. Words were exchanged between the clerk and Foster when the clerk tried to stop him from leaving the store. Foster then knocked the clerk to the ground and walked out of the store.

On June 11, 2017,  Foster walked into the Smart Fill convenience store on Davis Highway and attempted to purchase cigarettes with a debit card. After the card was declined, Foster walked around the counter and demanded cigarettes from the clerk while holding a knife. Foster took 13 cartons of cigarettes and then left the store.
On July 11, 2017, Foster walked into the Mom and Pop’s Convenience Mart on Olive Road and demanded the clerk give him several packs of cigarettes. When the clerk refused, Foster threatened to jump behind the counter and take them. The clerk then provided several packs of cigarettes to Foster. Before leaving the store, Foster threatened the clerk to not call 911.

On July 17, 2017, Foster went inside the Circle K on Garden Street, walked behind the counter, and started to take several cartons of cigarettes. He began telling the clerks that “He didn’t want to hurt them, but if they called the cops he would.” Foster then walked out of the store with the cigarette cartons.

Foster was arrested on July 18, 2017. He admitted to committing all four robberies.
Foster’s prior criminal history includes convictions for battery, trespass, grand theft, aggravated assault with a weapon, burglary, grand theft auto, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, petit theft and resisting officers.

Comments

5 Responses to “Escambia Man Sentenced For Cigarette Robberies”

  1. Samuel Foster on May 18th, 2018 12:56 am

    What many people do not realize is that many of these ex con dope dealers have drug related offenses with a firearm however the state of Florida has to charge the possession of a firearm by a felon charge separately and has to have the gun trial separately from the dope trial. So all these folks crying wolf over “innocent non violent drug charges” but the stolen gun they had while they had during the drug possession isn’t seen on that same charge as drugs. So when you go buy your little dime bag from your local dealer, and suddenly you see that stolen snub nose in a face, don’t be crying “non violent.”

  2. David Huie Green on May 17th, 2018 9:23 pm

    REGARDING:
    “This should be the focus of the criminal justice system and its resources…..not filling the jails with non violent stupid people with addiction issues.

    Please consider the truth:

    The top ten offenses Florida inmates were serving time for on March 31, 2017 included:
    Manufacture, Sale or Purchase of Drugs 6,232 6.4%
    Drug Trafficking 5,260 5.4%

    Actually, only the item listed as purchase of drugs would qualify under your statement, but that is at most 11.8% of inmates in jail in Florida for drug-related reasons.

    The rest were murderers, rapists, burglars, armed robbers, assault types.
    ( http://www.dc.state.fl.us/oth/Quickfacts.html )

    People fool themselves into thinking law enforcement is just paying attention to people altering their brains with sumthinerother when records show otherwise.

    (By the way, a nicotine addiction is just another drug addiction with associated dangers.)

    David for reality checks

  3. Grand Locust on May 17th, 2018 3:51 pm

    FINALLY! A violent criminal got sentenced to prison who was not a dope or mope filling up beds so that just this kind of violent criminal gets let back on the street. The judge, prosecutors, and LEO a big thumbs up, This should be the focus of the criminal justice system and its resources…..not filling the jails with non violent stupid people with addiction issues.

  4. John C. on May 17th, 2018 5:43 am

    See ya!!!!!!!!

  5. mike on May 17th, 2018 3:09 am

    many years without a smoke Jimmy! best to pay 4 them or do without, robbing and pushing people down and threatening them with knives is taken seriously. :)