Navarre Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Multi County Crime Spree
July 24, 2017
A Navarre man will spend a total of 25 years in prison for a multi-county crime spree that occurred over a period of twelve days. His co-defendant was also sentenced to 25 years in prison in March of this year.
According to a press release from the State Attorney’s Office of the First Judicial Circuit, Joseph Jeremiah Richard Morgan, age 22, was sentenced in Escambia County to 25 years in State Prison. Morgan pled to the charges of two counts of Principal to Robbery with a Deadly Weapon, Burglary of an Unoccupied Conveyance, and two counts of Grand Theft.
Escambia County Cases:
(Charges: Grand Theft)
On January 27, 2016, Joseph Morgan and his co-defendant Lonnie Locks made arrangements to purchase a PlayStation 4 gaming package on Craigslist. Locks met the victim at Zaxby’s restaurant located at 2640 Creighton Road. He pulled what appeared to be a small black gun from his waist and demanded the game package, wallet and phone from the victim. Locks then fled on foot but was later identified in a photo lineup. The packaging of the stolen property was recovered in the home of Morgan and Locks and Morgan’s fingerprints were on the packaging.
(Charges: Principal to Robbery with a Deadly Weapon)
On January 30, 2016, co-defendant, Lonnie Locks, age 19, made arrangements to purchase a cell phone on Craigslist. He met the victim at the Circle K located at 2350 W. Michigan Avenue. Instead of retrieving his wallet to pay for the phone, he displayed what appeared to be a firearm in his waistband and began shouting at the victim demanding his phone. Locks chased the victim back to his car and began beating on the windows, but the victim was able to escape unharmed.
(Charges: Principal to Robbery with a Deadly Weapon)
Locks fled on foot from the crime scene above at the Circle K and then proceeded to the Dollar General Store located at 4940 Saufley Field Road. While dressed all in black and wearing a mask, Locks indicated to the clerk that he had a gun in his coat pocket and made off with $273 in cash. Joseph Morgan picked up Lonnie Locks following the two robberies aiding his escape.
(Charges: Burglary of an Unoccupied Conveyance and Grand Theft)
On February 1, 2016, Locks stole car keys from a locker at the downtown YMCA, formerly located at 410 N. Palafox St. Afterwards, Joseph Morgan drove Locks around the parking lot using the key fob to locate the victim’s vehicle. Locks then entered the vehicle using the victim’s keys and stole his wallet, cell phone and prescription glasses. The incident was captured on surveillance video.
Santa Rosa County Portion:
On May 5, 2017, Joseph Morgan was convicted by a Santa Rosa County Jury for Principal to Robbery with a Deadly Weapon, as a result of the following facts:
On January 21, 2016, co-defendant, Lonnie Locks, entered the Tom Thumb at 2695 Hwy 87S in Navarre just after midnight. He was dressed in all black, wearing a mask and forced the clerk from the back room to the register where he took $268 in cash, over $500 in cigarettes and the clerk’s cell phone. Joseph Morgan waited down the street and drove Locks from the scene of the crime.
On January 22, 2016, co-defendant, Lonnie Locks, entered the Exxon at 8551 Keshar Taylor Road in Milton dressed in all black, wearing a mask, and brandishing what appeared to be a firearm. He assaulted two people in an unsuccessful effort to find the clerk but was not able to get money from the register. Again, Morgan aided his escape by driving him from the scene of the crime.
On June 6, 2017 Joseph Morgan entered a plea of no contest to the robbery of January 22, 2016 and was sentenced by Circuit Judge John Simon to 25 years in State Prison for the January 21st robbery as well as the January 22nd robbery. Both of these sentences will run concurrently with each other.
The investigations were conducted by the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and Pensacola Police Department.
The 25 year sentence imposed by Judge Shackelford in Escambia County will also run concurrently with the 25 year sentence imposed by Judge Simon in Santa Rosa County. In summary again, Joseph Morgan will serve 25 years in State Prison.