A Roanoke Rapids man charged in a February armed robbery in the city limits is in federal custody and awaits a January 23 detention hearing before a United States magistrate judge in Greenville.

Kevin Earl Elrod was indicted in July on three counts related to armed robbery of New Dixie Mart 2 located at 15 Roanoke Avenue.

The indictment was unsealed Thursday.

Count one alleges Elrod on or about February 8 unlawfully obstructed, delayed and affected interstate commerce by robbery by unlawfully taking and obtaining property by means of threatened or actual force.

In count two the federal grand jury charges Elrod knowingly used and carried a firearm during the armed robbery. The indictment also says he brandished and discharged the weapon.

Count two corroborates what Roanoke Rapids police said at the time, that Elrod fired into the store’s ceiling during the heist.

Count three relates to a previous conviction and him possessing ammunition.

The indictment carries a forfeiture notice in which he must relinquish property including a Cobra .380 handgun; two Remington 12-gauge shotguns and any related ammunition.

Elrod had been charged locally with robbery with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy, three counts of assault by pointing a gun, illegal discharge of a firearm and injury to property, which reflected damage to the store after he allegedly fired into the ceiling during the heist.

Roanoke Rapids police Chief Chuck Hasty said this morning, “We are thankful for the partnership we have with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. We’re working with them to get some of our violent and repeat offenders off the streets through the Take Back North Carolina initiative.

“We are not only working with them on violent offenders but the drug traffickers we encounter. These cases do take a little more time but we are working on quality cases and not quantity to get better results when it comes to sentencing of these defendants.”