Conway man convicted of armed robbery despite absence at trial

A Conway man was found guilty Tuesday of robbing a convenience store in January, even though he did not show up for trial after cutting off his ankle monitoring device.

Rasheed Tamir Glover, 20, was convicted of robbing the Scotchman convenient store on the corner of U.S. 501 and 4 Mile Road in Conway on Jan. 2, officials said.

On Jan. 2, Conway police were called at 1:41 a.m. to the Scotchman at 3410 W. U.S. 501 in reference to a panic alarm.

When police arrived, a female store clerk told them she had been robbed at gunpoint.

The victim told authorities she came from a back storeroom and saw two suspects coming around the corner. One of the suspects pointed a gun at her and told her to open the register, according to a police report.

The victim said the suspects grabbed the money from the register and left the store.

During the search, authorities said they saw a taxi with occupants who matched the descriptions of the suspects.

When officers stopped the taxi, they found the handgun used and the items in the robbery, according to a report. Ikeem Coles and Amantree Hakeem Ellerbe were arrested, along with Glover, when authorities stopped the taxi.

One other man was arrested with the group, but his charges were disposed on Wednesday, and he was not indicted, according to Horry County court records.

Ellerbe and Coles went before Judge Cothran on Monday and both pled guilty, officials said. Ellerbe pled guilty to armed robbery and was sentenced to 15 years, and Coles also pled guilty to armed robbery and received a 10 year sentence, according to a release.

Glover’s trial was held in an Horry County general sessions court before Judge R. Ferrell Cothran. Assistant solicitor Lauree Richardson was the prosecutor in this case.

“Under South Carolina law, armed robbery is considered a violent, most-serious offense. Therefore, the above-listed defendants will be required to serve 85 percent of their sentences at the South Carolina Department of Corrections before they are eligible for parole,” Richardson said in a press release.

Authorities said Glover’s sentence will remain sealed until he is found and arrested.

This story was originally published October 14, 2015 at 12:21 PM with the headline "Conway man convicted of armed robbery despite absence at trial."