Three charged in armed robbery at medical marijuana clinic in Ann Arbor
Three men were charged today with robbing a downtown Ann Arbor medical marijuana clinic at gunpoint Thursday night and using duct tape to bind customers and employees inside before police interrupted the crime.
Ann Arbor police say the men entered Liberty Clinic on South Main Street at 8 p.m. and bound people as they stole cash, marijuana and at least one cell phone.
Terrence Robinson
Marcus Bailey, 18, and Terrence Robinson, 34, both of Detroit, and Andre White, 32, of Royal Oak, were arraigned this morning at the Washtenaw County Jail on charges of armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, unlawful imprisonment, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and assaulting and obstructing police officers.
All three appeared before 15th District Court Magistrate M. Colleen Currie and remain jailed this afternoon.
Bond was set at $150,000 for White and Robinson, and $25,000 for Bailey.
The arraignments were shown on a television screen in the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department lobby, but court officials turned off the audio during some of the proceedings, including when Ann Arbor police Det. Bill Stanford was testifying. It's unclear why.
Andre White
Court Administrator Gene DeRossett said this afternoon he would look into the matter.
Attorney David Goldstein, who represents Bailey, told the court his client has "no identifiable criminal history," was recently attending an alternative school in Detroit and had two cousins who showed up to support him.
White, who did not yet have an attorney, said in court he is single, has a child on the way and works as a bouncer at nightclubs, making roughly $150 each week. He has no other income, he said, but was about to start a job through a temp agency.
White's criminal record includes convictions for possession of cocaine, delivery of marijuana and receiving stolen property, state Department of Corrections records show.
Robinson, who also did not yet have an attorney, is single and has two children under age 18, he said in court. He receives $678 in Social Security disability each month, he said.
White and Robinson were appointed public defenders to represent them.
According to police, two of the men had guns as they put duct tape over the mouths and hands of people in the clinic. The victims were a mix of customers and employees — four were men and three were women, authorities said.
A witness called 911 to report the robbery as he ran out of the building, police said. Officers had to fight with the men to take them into custody, police said.
Robinson’s aunt, Angela Williams of Detroit, said her nephew is a rapper and hoped to sign a contract soon. She's never seen the other two men charged in the case and was shocked at the allegations against Robinson, she said in the sheriff's department lobby today.
“He’s not a bad kid," Williams said. "I don’t know where this came about.”
The three men are scheduled to return to court for preliminary hearings on Oct. 13.
Lee Higgins covers crime and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at (734) 623-2527 and e-mail at leehiggins@annarbor.com.
Comments
david moore
Tue, Mar 15, 2011 : 12:35 a.m.
man thats my boy from jail good guy free white
Mark A.
Mon, Oct 4, 2010 : 6:58 p.m.
@Awakened, if there was actually a problem with people abusing the welfare system, it seems like a resonable majority of people could be found to change the system. The fact is that most people on welfare do in fact need it. @denise1inaa, there is definitely an argument and a very reasonable one, that if you are associated with a highly controlled substance, that you are going to be a target for criminals that are interested in obtaining said narcotic. If you disagree, I dare you to post when you're doing a marijuana pickup and the path you're taking to get home, and in exchange I'll post where and when I'm buying booze and even post my home address.
Dennis
Mon, Oct 4, 2010 : 8:07 a.m.
Everybody coming from Detroit to do their dirty work in the Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor area?
Killroy
Mon, Oct 4, 2010 : 7:37 a.m.
Do you guys realize that this means the same block has been hit with in the last two months? First Schlanderer's & Sons and now the Pot store? How about bringing back beat cops, anyone? This is slowly becoming the wild west and I don't like it.
denise1inaa
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 10:43 p.m.
Local law enforcement should not view this store/operation as illegal because of the popular state vote to legitimize it. The crime is that FEDS do. However FEDS state they will not pursue prosecutions. That said, liquor stores get robbed all the time, so also local businesses having nothing to do with liquor/smoke/money lending. All targets of criminals... there is no arguement for specific business venues attracting criminals.
tommy_t
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 3:23 p.m.
I would advise to accept the plea bargain.
ffej440
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 9:04 a.m.
Congrats to the AA PD for such great work. If not for the location this could have been very bad.This is the very reason to keep these in the city not on the outskirts. As noted in comments above - you wouldn't want a pharmacy or jewlers located in an industrial park. I hope safty of patients is being thought of by the area zoning boards.
actionjackson
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 8:17 a.m.
@Wings19 Let's also close Schlanders Jewelers, all banks, etc... we can all see it coming. Anywhere you have desparate criminals and something that can be fenced or turned into cash it's pretty easy to see it coming. Good thing we have a police force that isn't too busy in the donut shop to take care of business. Grateful to those who put their lives in jeopardy to keep the rest of us comfortable in our city. Thanks AA police department.
Awakened
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 7:56 a.m.
Amen. I was worried that these were starving people devastated by Detroit's economic nightmare just trying to put food on their family's table until I saw the photos. I am struck by the frequency in which folks caught for violent crimes are on SSI disability. With Social Security looking towards insolvency in the next 30 or so years maybe we could look toward tightening the definition of "disability." Of course, if these allegations turn out to be true, Mr. Robinson will be recieveing a different form of state care for a few years. If so then I do feel sad for his children. This will be devastation to them.
michiganpoorboy
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 4:16 a.m.
All black what a shock?
michiganpoorboy
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 4:03 a.m.
Any one using pot is a sicko and should be jailed...........
Jennifer
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 10:56 p.m.
Can we get an "Amen" for the rational voice?
Rational
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 9:48 p.m.
This will continue happening until we truly protect patients by making cannabis available to all adults, not just the sick ones. Alcohol is single-handedly responsible for more death, rape, dismemberment, accidents, horror, fear, and confusion than any other substance on earth. It is without question, one of the most destructive substances known to man. But it's legal. And it should remain so, because we all know what happens when you try to ban it. Things get even worse. The best we can do is regulate it to the point that we mostly keep it out of the hands of kids, and all agree on the ground rules -- don't drive, try to act responsibly, etc. So, if the worst substance known to man is legal, why isn't it's most popular rival? A substance that PALES by comparison in every measure of negative impact to society and it's users. Those who choose to use cannabis instead of alcohol are doing ALL of us a BIG favor, so why do we continue to penalize them for it? It's time to legalize.
Mark A.
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 9:01 p.m.
Caregivers would be better off growing in a private location and not letting anyone know that they are growing. They should deliver the product to the patient at a safe location, maybe even the police station, and charge for delivery. Patients would also be better off not telling anyone that they are a patient. Unfortunately, having marihuana will make you a target to criminals.
Patricia Cockrell
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 8:03 p.m.
Oops - sorry to butcher your name Malorie!
Patricia Cockrell
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 8:01 p.m.
I agree with jayroo and Mallory. Marijuana just isn't what some people think, and it's a heck of a lot better than alcohol, barbiturates and handsful of prescription drugs, which seems to be the latest real danger in vougue.
M.
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 6:56 p.m.
Wings19 is totally right. We need to get rid of all pharmaceutical prescriptions; people get robbed for them all the time.
jayroo
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 6:16 p.m.
C'mon liquor stores get robbed all the time not to mention pharmacies. These idiots just thought they could make out better here.
Subroutine
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 5:48 p.m.
Hmm. State sanctioned federally criminal drug trade getting hit by criminal armed robbers. No one could have seen this coming. Thanks to our well trained police force for putting their lives on the line to stop it. But don't think these drug stores won't attract more criminals.