From staff reports
A 23-year-old Beaufort man who robbed a gas station while armed and masked is headed to prison.
Jordan Tyrese Jahlil Burgess of Ambrose Run pleaded guilty Monday to armed robbery and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. His jury trial was scheduled to begin later in the morning.
Burgess was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He received 12 years for the robbery charge and five years for the weapons charge. Each charge will be served concurrently.
“There is no explanation for why Mr. Burgess’s DNA would be on the cash register till,” said Assistant Solicitor Jared Shedd, who prosecuted the case. “The single-source DNA profile, combined with the fact that he never worked at this gas station, along with the surveillance video made it clear who was responsible for this crime.”
Just before 10:30 p.m., Jan. 15, 2019, Port Royal Police received a report of a suspicious person behind the gas station at 1451 Ribaut Road. Moments later, police received a call about an armed robbery.
Surveillance shows Burgess – wearing a gaiter-style face cover but no hat or gloves — pulling out a revolver, and demanding money. In the video, Burgess grabs the till from the clerk and snags $177. He then demands the store’s cordless phone and the clerk’s personal cell phone before leaving the gas station. The clerk then grabs her purse, locks the store’s door, and runs across the street to Hardee’s for help.
