Cell Phone Tied Teen to Robbery Spree that Terrorized 31 Victims
Thirty-one victims including multiple small business owners who were robbed at gunpoint in 2022 received justice last week. Seventeen-year-old Shavawn Coleman was sentenced to life in prison for multiple charges relating to a five-month long armed-robbery spree. The robberies began in January 2022 and continued through May. The crime spree came to a dramatic end when Coleman was shot in the leg while he was attempting to rob another business on May 30, 2022.
Nine robberies took place at eateries and businesses on Gray Highway, in Macon. Targeted businesses included a Captain D’s, Wendy’s, Krystal’s, McDonald’s, CVS, Family Dollar, Dairy Queen, Burger King and the American Faves & More.
Shavawn Coleman was 16 years of age at time the crimes took place. A review of Coleman’s phone tied him and three others, including Coleman’s twin brother, to all of the robberies.
“Thirty-one people trying to earn an honest dollar were terrorized by Shavawn Coleman when he was just 16 years old,” said Macon Judicial District Attorney Anita Howard. “This young man should have been in school, playing sports and planning for a bright future. Actions like these by young people fuel my desire to offer programs and services that can redirect children from crime to prosperity. We must all work together to stop this cycle of violence.”
Coleman pled Guilty to eight counts of Armed Robbery; two counts of Attempted Armed Robbery; and, three counts of Aggravated Assault. He received a Life sentence and will spend a minimum of 30 years in prison, before he will be eligible for parole.
