Pair plead guilty to Raleigh robbery spree

Wilmington, N.C. — Two men have pleaded guilty to robbing a string of convenience stores and restaurants in Raleigh last summer, authorities said Wednesday.

Rapheal Davonne Powell, 24, of Raleigh, and David Michael Wesley Jr., 19, of Knightdale, both pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiring to commit Hobbs Act robbery and two counts each of aiding and abetting the use of a firearm in a crime of violence. They will be sentenced later.

Between July 5 and July 9, the pair and a third man robbed a Rite Aid Drug Store, the Stop 1 Market, the Lighthouse Food Mart and the Tienda Todo Guerrenrense Mexican Restaurant, authorities said. They wore bandannas over their faces and long-sleeved hooded sweatshirts, and Wesley was carrying a .380-caliber handgun during the hold-ups, authorities said.

The third robber, Samuel Keith Kerr, 21, of Raleigh, previously pleaded guilty to the same federal charges in the robbery spree.