JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Two men who were the suspects of an armed robbery of a pawn shop last month, have now been arrested.
Sheriff Mike Williams announced Thursday of the arrests of 28-year-old Antoine Spight and 30-year-old Brandon Nicholson. Both are being charged with robbery and kidnapping after Williams said they held the store clerk at gunpoint.
Williams said that they entered Treasure Chest Pawn off Cassat Avenue on November 16. The two suspects acted as if they were looking fro an engagement ring until they noticed everyone, besides the clerk, was gone. One person pulled out a handgun at the clerk and the other suspect tied the clerk’s hands behind her back. Williams then said that the clerk was pushed into a bathroom.
The suspects then stole 40 handguns and $100,000 worth of jewelry and cash and then took off in the employee’s car.
JSO put out a social media post about the suspects, and they were identified by the public through First Coast CrimeStoppers. The first tip came in on Nov. 20, where the caller identified one of the suspects to be Antoine Spight. Spight was located outside of Atlanta where police say that he was on his way to New York to sell the stolen handguns. 26 of the 40 handguns were recovered with Spight.
After a tip from First Coast CrimeStoppers, the sheriff’s office was able to locate and arrest Spight outside Atlanta on Nov. 20. Detectives said they recovered 24 of the 40 stolen handguns. A few days later, Brandon Nicholson was identified through a tip, and he was arrested on Nov. 25 at a hotel on the Westside after a brief standoff with police.
Williams said there are still two unknown suspects on the run and 16 stolen handguns that have not been recovered.
“They don’t always leave the community,” Williams said of the stolden handguns. “This is a unique case where the individuals are career professionals and profiting off of stolen handguns.”
JSO worked this case with the DEA and ATF and asked anyone with information about the other two suspects to call First Coast CrimeStoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS (8477).
Cox Media Group
