BOSTON, Nov. 13, 2015— A Dorchester man today pleaded guilty to a Roxbury armed robbery as his trial was underway, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

LIQUARRY JEFFERSON (D.O.B. 2/8/80) today pleaded guilty to charges of armed robbery while masked and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident causing property damage.  Judge Christopher Muse sentenced Jefferson to seven years in prison followed by five years of probation.

Jefferson’s Suffolk Superior Court trial got underway Tuesday in the 2014 Roxbury market robbery.  Assistant District Attorney Matthew Feeney of the DA’s gang unit had called 10 witnesses and was prepared to call the prosecution’s two final witnesses today when Jefferson opted to change his plea rather than let the jury decide the case.

Feeney presented evidence and testimony to prove that on the evening of Jan. 7, 2014, Boston Police responded to a call for an armed robbery at Warren Food Mart in Roxbury.  Two masked assailants robbed to store of approximately $300 while brandishing what were later found to be pellet guns, evidence and testimony proved.

Officers arriving at the scene observe two men fitting witness descriptions – later identified as Jefferson and JAMES THORNTON (D.O.B. 3/6/73) of Dorchester – as they fled the market.  The evidence showed that the men tossed an item as they ran from pursuing officers; that item was found to be the drawer from a cash register.

On Tupelo Street, the men entered a 2004 Toyota Corolla that was registered to a female acquaintance of Jefferson and fled in the vehicle with Jefferson behind the wheel.  Evidence showed that Jefferson crashed into a parked vehicle in the area of Maple and Schuyler streets.

Both men fled the crashed car on foot.  Thornton was quickly apprehended as he attempted to jump over a fence.  Additional officers on Wayne Street stopped Jefferson, who was sweating heavily and had cash sticking out of his coat pockets.  At the time of his arrest, he had recently been released from prison following a 2010 conviction for assault with a dangerous weapon.

Thornton pleaded guilty to a charge of armed robbery in December and was sentenced to one to three years in prison.

Jassie Senwah was the DA’s assigned victim-witness advocate.  Jefferson was represented by Gordon Spencer.

–30–

All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.