A Detroit man was sentenced to just over 54 years in federal prison after pleading guilty earlier this year to armed robbery and firearms offenses.
According to court records, Carlos Harper, 38, along with co-defendants William Joseph Fields and Roxanne Harper, conspired with one another to rob four businesses in southwest Detroit, including Favi's Nail Salon and the West Fort Street bar.
Officials say Carlos Harper and Fields entered the businesses wearing scarves over their faces and used aliases in order to conceal their identities. Armed with pistols, they brandished their weapons to threaten, injure and instill fear in victims.
During the robberies, Carlos shot two women in the West Fort Street Bar and fired a shot into Favi's Nail Salon when it was full of women and children, as well as causing a family-run dollar store business to close down for good.
The robberies took place between December 2014 and January 2015.
Carlos and Fields were taken into custody as a result of investigative efforts by ATF agents in collaboration with Detroit Police.
“The 55-year sentence in this case sends a very clear message: put down your guns and your violence, or spend your life in federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider.
