BOSTON, Feb. 17, 2015—A Quincy man was arraigned last week in connection with a Jamaica Plain armed robbery and faces additional charges in a similar hold-up at a nearby convenience store, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.
HEATH CARSON (D.O.B. 7/29/79) was arraigned Feb. 11 in West Roxbury Municipal Court on charges of armed robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, and unlawful possession of a firearm in connection with a Jan. 22 hold-up of the Tostado Sandwich Bar on Centre Street. Assistant District Attorney Christopher Aiello requested bail of $75,000; Judge Paul McManus imposed $10,000 bail and ordered that Carson be transported to Cambridge District Court, where he was wanted on warrants.
Carson is the second person to be charged in that robbery. His co-defendant, RICHARD PERRY (D.O.B. 12/13/73) of Taunton, was identified as a suspect and arrested Jan. 23 on warrants issued out of Cambridge District Court. He remains in custody and will be arraigned for the Centre Street case at a later date.
Also at a later date, prosecutors plan to arraign Carson on additional charges of armed robbery with a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with a Jan. 6 robbery at J.P. Variety Store on South Street.
Aiello told the court that Boston Police responded to at approximately 6:20 p.m. on Jan. 22 for a report of an armed robbery. An employee told police that a man approached the counter with a gun and demanded all of the money from the register. The suspect then fled with $258.
Boston Police detectives obtained surveillance video from the restaurant capturing the robbery and distributed images of the suspect to other police agencies. On Jan. 23, Boston Police were notified that the individual depicted in the images was Perry and that Cambridge Police were actively searching for Perry in connection to two armed robberies in their city.
Perry was arrested at a Minden Street residence by Boston Police, Cambridge Police, and US Marshalls that same day. Through the course of their investigation, Boston Police determined that Carson drove Perry to and from Tostado Sandwich Bar and provided him with the weapon used in the robbery.
A warrant issued for Carson’s arrest, and he surrendered himself to Boston Police on Feb. 11.
After Carson’s arraignment, another warrant issued for his arrest in connection with the Jan. 6 armed robbery of J.P. Variety Store. In that incident, Carson is accused of holding what appeared to be a firearm to a store clerk’s back and demanding money and cigarettes. He fled with an estimated $400 from the register, $15 belonging to the clerk, and approximately 36 packs of Marlboro cigarettes. Carson was identified through surveillance images depicting the robbery, and a search of his vehicle uncovered clothing matching that worn during the armed robbery.
Boston Police are looking into possible links between these robberies and similar robberies in the area of Centre and Boylston streets that occurred during December and January.
Carson was represented by Amy Karp. He will return to West Roxbury Municipal Court on March 12.
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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
