Former Employee Pleads Guilty to Robbing Danville Food Lion

ROANOKE, Va. - A former Danville Food Lion employee, who pulled a gun on a Food Lion cashier and robbed the store of more than $1,200 in cash, pled guilty yesterday to federal charges.

Christopher Rashard Harris, 30, pled guilty to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery.

According to court documents, on June 28, 2023, Harris entered the Food Lion grocery store where he used to be employed, placed two bags of Cheetos on the counter, and gave the cashier a $1 bill and some change. When the cashier opened the register, Harris pulled out a firearm, pointed it at the cashier, and said, "back the fu*k up." The cashier put his hands up and backed away from the register while Harris grabbed the entire cash drawer and ran out with the contents, approximately $1,217.

On July 6, 2023, law enforcement arrested Harris who confessed to robbing the store and described where he had abandoned the cash drawer, which was later recovered.

United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Craig B. Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Scheff is prosecuting 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.