DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
Middle District of Tennessee

For Immediate Release

Friday, June 29, 2018
Donald Q. Cochran
, United States Attorney
Contact: David Boling

Three Facing Federal Firearms Charges in Music City Pawn Robbery

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – June 29, 2018 – Three Nashville men are facing federal firearms charges relating to the armed robbery of Music City Pawn on Tuesday, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee. 

 

A criminal complaint obtained yesterday afternoon charged James Horton, 24, Hakeem Mannie, 29, and Herbert Marsh, 28, all of Nashville, with robbery affecting commerce and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Mannie and Marsh are also charged with being convicted felons in possession of firearms.

 

“This is yet another example of our commitment to act swiftly to reduce violent crime in middle Tennessee,” said U.S. Attorney Cochran.  “As we continue to remind the public, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners are serious about removing violent offenders from our communities.  With these individuals, 23 violent offenders have been charged and taken off the streets in June and this follows similar patterns in preceding months.  Lengthy prison sentences will follow upon conviction and there is no parole in the federal system.”

 

The complaint alleges that on June 26, 2018, the trio robbed Music City Pawn on Nolensville Pike, taking 14 firearms and more than $8,000 cash.  The trio entered the store wearing masks and gloves and one was armed with a handgun equipped with an extended magazine and a weapon-mounted light.  Two employees were then ordered to the ground and bound with cable and one employee was dragged to the rear of the store and ordered to open the safe.  After taking the firearms and cash, the assailants fled the store in a U-Haul van.

 

According to the complaint, Metropolitan Nashville police officers stopped a BMW at the intersection of 24th Ave. N. and Rosa Parks Blvd. for a traffic violation.  Officers identified James Horton as the driver and Mannie and Marsh as two of the three passengers.  During the subsequent investigation, five stolen firearms were recovered from the vehicle, four of which were taken during the robbery at Music City Pawn.  The complaint also describes video surveillance and witness statements linking the trio to the robbery as well as the recovery of the U-Haul van at Marsh’s sister’s house, which was used during the getaway.

 

Hakeem Mannie was found to have six prior felony convictions for forgery and Herbert Marsh has three prior felony convictions for forgery.

 

 If convicted, all defendants face up to 20 years in prison on the robbery charge, with an additional mandatory minimum consecutive sentence of five years on the charge of using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.  Mannie and Marsh also face up to 10 years in prison for being a convicted felon in possession of firearms.

 

U.S. Attorney Cochran commended the work of the Metro Nashville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives for the swift apprehension of those responsible and the subsequent investigation of this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brooke Schiferle and Phillip Wehby are prosecuting the case.

           

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation and is not evidence of guilt.  All defendant are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

           

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Nashville Field Division