Four in prison, $400K still missing after box office theft at Walnut Creek

The final suspect in the July 2105 robbery at the box office at Raleigh's Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek was expected to plead guilty Thursday to charges of conspiracy.

Posted 1:23 p.m. Mar 29, 2018 — Updated 5:42 p.m. Jul 13, 2018

RALEIGH, N.C. — The final suspect in the July 2015 robbery at the box office at Raleigh's Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of conspiracy.

Shymale Malik Robertson pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit robbery and was sentenced to three to five years in prison. He will also have to pay $8,000 in restitution. He was originally charged with possession of stolen property in the crime that police say netted six suspects about $487,000 from the amphitheater's box office.

Investigators said $89,000 was recovered after the robbery, but the rest of the money is still missing. The district attorney's office said some of the money was found hidden in an old TV in a storage unit rented by the suspects.

Robertson was arrested about a year after the robbery at a hotel. Prosecutors said he was a friend of the other suspects and had stolen a Playstation. Robertson's attorney, though, said there is no real evidence linking his client to the crime and no evidence that he has any of the stolen money.

"This (plea) is a compromise," said defense attorney Jeff Cutler.

Three of the suspects are already serving time.

In August 2017, Jamell Cha Melvin was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in prison, the longest of the sentences.

Javeal Aaron Baker was sentenced to at least 17 years and a maximum of 24 years. Kianna Lynn Baker was sentenced to eight months in prison. She is serving 36 months of probation after her release.

Javeal Baker and Melvin were both found guilty of six counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon, five counts of second-degree kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon. Kianna Lynn Baker was found guilty of one count of accessory after the fact of robbery with a dangerous weapon.

Two others – Adani Jari Bryant and Lorenzo Demarcus McNeill – cooperated with authorities after their arrests, pleaded guilty and testified against Melvin and the two Bakers. The pair will be sentenced after Robertson's case is complete.

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