RALEIGH, N.C. (NCN News) — A federal judge sentenced Trimaine Rshad Williams, 35, to 15 and half years in federal prison for Interference with Commerce by Robbery. On February 20, 2026, Williams pleaded guilty in federal court. Williams’s five prior robbery convictions resulted in his sentencing as a Career Offender.
“Williams is exactly the kind of repeat offender who keeps terrorizing hard-working honest people of Eastern North Carolina,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle in a press release. “Even after five prior convictions, he spent an entire day hitting one store after another, scaring employees and terrifying customers who were just trying to work and live their lives the honest way. Thanks to great work of law enforcement, the people of Nash County won’t have to deal with Williams’s chaos any longer. Steal, gets steel.”
Trimaine Rshad Williams (photo courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office)
On March 20, 2024, Williams carried out a crime spree that targeted at least five convenience stores and gas stations in Rocky Mount. At one location, he pressed a hard object against a clerk’s back and threatened to shoot him. Although the clerk discovered Williams was not armed and escorted him out, Williams lingered nearby and accepted food the clerk offered after he claimed he was down on his luck. Despite this act of compassion, Williams continued his crime spree throughout the day and night.
At 6:30 a.m., Williams entered the Speedway store in Rocky Mount, ordered everyone to the ground, and stole about $200 while clutching his waistband as if he had a gun. Five hours later, he entered a gas station on Wesleyan Boulevard, told the clerks he was armed, stole roughly $300, and fled. His crime spree escalated that evening when he entered a nearby Dollar General, climbed over the counter, demanded cash, and threatened to kill the clerk. Shortly thereafter, Willaims entered his final store, the Bi‑Rite Market in Sharpsburg, demanded money, and once again grabbed his jacket as if he had a weapon before fleeing with the cash. The Nash County Sheriff’s Office apprehended Williams later that day, ending his community-wide crime spree.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. This case was investigated by Sharpsburg Police Department, Rocky Mount Police Department, and Nash County Sheriff’s Office.