Boston Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Armed Robbery of Brockton Cell Phone Store
Defendant Fired Multiple Rounds at Police Cruisers During High-speed Chase
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in the January 2019 robbery of a T-Mobile store in Brockton and shooting at police officers as he and his co-defendants fled the scene.
Stephan Rosser-Stewart, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 16 years in prison and two years of supervised release. On March 24, 2022, Rosser-Stewart pleaded guilty to interference with commerce by robbery; conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery; discharging, brandishing, using and carrying a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence; and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.
Rosser-Stewart was indicted along with co-defendants Darius Carter and Diovanni Carter in March 2019. The three were subsequently charged in a superseding indictment in September 2019. A fourth man, Dennis Martin was charged separately.
“Mr. Rosser-Stewart and his co-defendants robbed a clerk at gunpoint and subsequently fired shots at a pursuing police officer during a high-speed chase through a quiet residential neighborhood. They terrorized the Brockton community and endangered innocent lives, all for greed and the pursuit of money,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Today’s sentence effectively removes this reckless individual from the streets of our Commonwealth, preventing him from endangering any more lives. I commend the courageous work of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, particularly the police officer that was shot at, for their brave and invaluable assistance in keeping our communities safe. Because of their hard work, Mr. Rosser-Stewart and his co-defendants were apprehended and held accountable.”
“Mr. Rosser-Stewart threatened the lives of Police Officers and the citizens of Brockton by committing this brazen robbery,” said James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “Keeping firearms out of the hands of convicted felons is ATF's top priority and we will continue to aggressively pursue these investigations and work with our law enforcement partners to remove violent criminals from our communities.”
“Following the brazen armed robbery of the T-Mobile store, Mr. Rosser-Stewart showed a complete disregard for public safety while fleeing police at high speeds and shooting at officers. Violent behavior like this will not be tolerated in our community. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to pursue justice and ensure those who commit such crimes are held accountable,” said Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez.
On the evening of Jan. 26, 2019, Rosser-Stewart, Darius Carter and Dennis Martin entered a T-Mobile store in Brockton, carrying semi-automatic firearms, which they pointed at the store manager as they demanded cash and electronics. Darius Carter struck the store manager in the head with a firearm. The men stole approximately $25,000 in cash and electronics and then fled in a vehicle driven by Diovanni Carter.
Police located the getaway vehicle and a high-speed chase ensued, reaching speeds of over 70 mph in residential neighborhoods. During the chase, Diovanni Carter ordered the other men in the car to fire at pursuing police cruisers. Rosser-Stewart and Darius Carter fired a total of eight rounds at the pursuing police cruisers. Law enforcement apprehended Rosser-Stewart, Darius Carter and Dennis Martin after an object on the road disabled their vehicle and recovered the stolen phones, cash and the three firearms used in robbery. Diovanni Carter fled the scene when the car was stopped and was later apprehended in March 2019. Rosser-Stewart, Darius Carter, Diovanni Carter and Dennis Martin, were each prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior criminal convictions. Rosser-Stewart was previously convicted of armed robbery in Suffolk Superior Court and had been recently released from prison prior to robbing the T-Mobile store in January 2019.
In March 2021, Darius Carter pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 14 years in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to his role in the robbery. In March 2020, Diovanni Carter was convicted by a federal jury and sentenced to over 22 years in prison. In August 2019, Martin pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 23, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Rollins; ATF SAC Ferguson; Chief Perez; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Douglas Bartlett, Acting U.S. Marshal of the District of Massachusetts; Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald Jr.; and Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
