Two local men sentenced for 2019 Family Dollar store robbery in southwest Charlotte

CHARLOTTE — A local man was sentenced by a federal judge to serve 162 months in prison and two years of supervised release after robbing a Family Dollar store two years ago, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

James Arden Alexander, 33, of Indian Trail, was sentenced by U.S. District judge Robert J. Conrad Jr.

Alexander’s co-defendant, Gerran McClure, 33, of Charlotte, was previously sentenced to four years in prison and two years of supervised release.

According to court documents, Alexander entered the Family Dollar store on Nations Ford Road in Charlotte on Dec. 16, 2019, around 5:15 p.m.

Alexander pointed a firearm at two customers and the store’s cashier and ordered them to get to the ground. Court records show that the victims complied and Alexander went behind the counter, pointed his firearm at the cashier, and forced her to stand up and open the register.

Alexander took cash out of the register and the store’s safe and fled the scene.

CMPD officers later located Alexander and McClure in a car and attempted to stop them.

McClure and Alexander ignored the officers and fled into South Carolina. South Carolina Highway Patrol continued after the suspects until they eventually stopped the car on Interstate 77.

CMPD officers recovered the cash taken, a gun, and gun magazines from the car.

On April 12, 2021, Alexander pleaded guilty to robbery of a business affecting interstate commerce. McClure pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact.

Alexander is in federal custody and will be transferred into the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

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