Series of armed robberies, Milwaukee man pleads guilty

MILWAUKEE - The second of two Milwaukee men charged with dozens of counts stemming from a series of armed robberies pleaded guilty to multiple charges Friday, Nov. 10.

Prosecutors said Cashun Drake and Alphonso Reavis, who were both 17 years old at the time, admitted to varying levels of involvement in the robberies that took place in both Milwaukee and West Allis last year.

Friday, Drake pleaded guilty to five armed robbery counts and burglary, and 10 other charges were dropped as part of a plea deal. Court records indicate he is scheduled to be sentenced next year. Reavis also took a plea deal in September and is scheduled to be sentenced in December.

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The first alleged armed robbery happened on Oct. 8, 2022. Prosecutors said the two stole an Amazon delivery van on the city's north side. Prosecutors also accuse Reavis and Drake of involvement in multiple cellphone store robberies, a Pick ‘n Save robbery, and a Greenhouse CBD robbery.

Along the way, the two are also accused of crimes that unfolded outside St. Sebastian Catholic School, and of robbing two people who they planned to trade with via the "Offer Up" app.

Amazon driver robbery | Oct. 8, 2022

Milwaukee police were called to an armed carjacking near 22nd and Concordia around 12:30 p.m. The vehicle – an Amazon delivery van – was soon recovered near 21st and Burleigh, a few blocks from where it was stolen. 

The Amazon driver told police that two masked suspects – one of whom was armed with a gun, pointing it at the Amazon driver – went through his pockets, took the keys to the van and got in.

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A criminal complaint states the suspects couldn't get the van to move and asked the driver how to "get the van to work." The driver said they needed to take the parking brake off, and the two then fled southbound in the van.

The Amazon van had a surveillance camera inside attached to the rearview mirror, but the suspects took it down, the complaint states. However, a different camera from inside showed the same man, who was driving, with his mask pulled down. Police later identified that man as Drake, and say he is the one who pointed the gun at the Amazon driver.

‘Offer Up’ robbery | Oct. 24, 2022

Around 6:25 p.m., two victims went into Milwaukee Police District 3 and reported that two suspects robbed them at gunpoint near 27th and Burleigh. 

According to a criminal complaint, the victims said they met one of the suspects through the "Offer Up" app to trade some items. One of the suspects signaled to the other, and they both pulled out handguns and demanded items from the victims. The victims said the suspects took a backpack, Chromebook, two iPhones, Cartier glasses, and cash before running off. As they ran off, the victims said both suspects fired shots toward them.

The next day, police were told that one of the victim's debit cards was used to buy a drum-style handgun magazine online. That purchase was delivered to "Joe Baby" at a home near 24th and Chambers. That address belonged to Drake, the complaint states.

From a photo lineup, one of the victims identified Reavis and Drake as the people who robbed them.

Pick 'n Save robbery | Oct. 30, 2022

Milwaukee police responded to a Pick 'n Save near 36th and Meinecke around 12:20 p.m. An employee said four people came in and tried to sell a tablet to someone; however, that person did not take the tablet, so the four left. A short time later, the employee said, two of the four people came back inside.

The complaint states the two people asked the employee to break a $20 bill. When the employee opened the register, the complaint states, one of the people pushed her and grabbed the money out of the register. The employee called for security, but the other person pulled out a handgun with a drum-style magazine and pointed it at the employee and the security guard. 

Before the two people ran off, the complaint states, one of them grabbed the security guard's sunglasses off his face. The security guard told police that the armed person told him "don't (expletive) move."

The entire robbery was captured on surveillance video.

Boost Mobile, Greenhouse CBD robberies | Nov. 2, 2022

West Allis police were called to a Boost Mobile near 71st and Greenfield around 2:35 p.m. The owner told police, per the complaint, that two people came in and asked if Boost Mobile bought phones. One of them pulled out four iPhones, but the owner said he wasn't interested – referring them to another location.

The complaint states the owner called another location and was writing down information when one of the people punched him in the face. The other person, armed with a handgun, said "I am going to kill you" and kept repeating something to that effect.

The suspects took the owner's car keys, the complaint states, and one of them ran out to where it was parked. That suspect then started running in and out of the store's "back room" with items as the armed suspect continued to hold the owner at gunpoint. The suspects then put the owner in a restroom and blocked the door with a refrigerator. Once he heard it was quiet, the owner pushed his way out and hit the alarm to notify police.

Surveillance video from the store showed both men were wearing the same clothing as the people who robbed the Pick 'n Save near 36th and Meinecke, the complaint states. The gun also had a drum-style magazine.

While investigating, the complaint states, police noted the business next door to the Boost Mobile – Greenhouse CBD – "appeared to be ransacked." The owner said several items were missing. In the Boost Mobile store owner's car, police found several items that were apparently stolen from the CBD store.

St. Sebastian incident | Nov. 3, 2022

Around 5:10 p.m. Milwaukee police were called to St. Sebastian Catholic School near 55th and Washington for a reported battery.

The complaint states officers spoke to a man at the scene who had been working to lay concrete. The worker said someone who identified himself as "Joe" came up to him and "wanted to talk to him about a job." A few minutes later, the worker said "Joe" and another person – who had a "gold grill" and stepped in the wet concrete – came back.

The worker told police, per the complaint, that the two suspects got into his SUV and tried to drive of. When he confronted the suspects, one of them pushed and then hit him. As the SUV began rolling down 55th Street, the two suspects got out and ran. The worker was able to get into his SUV and drive it back to the school. There, he saw one of the suspects running from the school with a backpack. 

A school employee told police, per the complaint, that he was inside when he saw the struggle involving the worker and the two suspects outside. When the school employee went to help, the complaint states, one of suspects was apparently able to get inside the school and take the school employee's backpack.

During a struggle to get his backpack back, the complaint states the school employee said he was hit by the SUV and broke his leg. The backpack had a Nintendo Switch and prescription medications inside.

The incident was captured on surveillance video. 

T-Mobile robbery | Nov. 3, 2022

Later the same day, just before 6 p.m., police were called to a T-Mobile near 57th and North for an armed robbery. An employee said roughly $20,000 worth of cellphones were stolen, including a tracker phone that was "pinging" near 23rd and Clarke. Other officers were then sent to that location.

The employee said, per the complaint, that he was doing an inventory count when three people came in and were asking about changing phones and service. Suddenly, the complaint states, one of them pointed a handgun with a drum-style magazine at him and pushed him to the back of the store.

A second person then went into the storage area and asked "what's the code for the door." With the gun still pointed at him, the employee opened the door and the two suspects followed him inside where they ordered him to open the safe. The suspects ordered the employee to the ground and took his phone and car keys.

The armed suspect ordered another employee to "grab the register till keys out of the safe." At this time, the complaint states, two other suspects were "clearing out" all the cellphones from the safe and removing other items from the shelves and emptying the cash register tills that were inside the safe. 

The complaint states, as the robbers left, one of them returned the employee's cellphone and car keys but said, "We have your telephone number." 

The robbery was captured on surveillance video. Comparing that video to the video from St. Sebastian, police identified two of the people – Reavis and Drake – were involved in both incidents.

Arrests near 23rd and Clarke | Nov. 3, 2022

At the home near 23rd and Clarke where the tracker phone was pinging, responding officers spotted "two young Black males" who "appeared to be frantically running around the residence." The complaint states one of them was quickly changing into different clothes and apparently looking for way to escape.

After a woman answered the door to the lower unit, the complaint states officers saw Drake – who "appeared to be looking for a way to escape." Officers went inside and took Drake and Reavis into custody.

The complaint states items including cellphones, tablets, smartwatches and a handgun with a drum-style magazine were found in plain view throughout the home. Shown pictures of the suspects in the West Allis Boost Mobile robbery, another woman identified the suspects as Drake and Reavis.

Defendants' statements

During a Mirandized interview, the complaint states Drake admitted to taking the Amazon delivery van because he "needed money" and to being involved in the Boost Mobile robbery – but nothing else.

However, in his own Mirandized interview with police, the complaint states Reavis admitted to being involved in each of the incidents and identified Drake as a "co-actor" in each of them as well. His descriptions of the crimes, per the complaint, are as follows:

Amazon driver robbery

Reavis said he and Drake robbed the Amazon driver to pay someone back – identified in the complaint as "T" – who had given them the gun that was later used in the other incidents, though it did not have a drum-style magazine at the time. 

‘Offer up’ robbery

The "Offer Up" incident began as a "legit trade," Reavis said. However, he said some people he owed money to saw him on his way there, beat him up and demanded their money. He said they beat up Drake, too, and told them to rob the people they planned to trade with and fire a shot afterward to "scare" the victims.

Reavis admitted to firing a shot, but said it was "into the air." He said they gave everything to the people who told them to do the robbery – except for the Cartier glasses. He said Drake was the one who used a stolen debit card to buy the drum-style magazine, and that it was the one thing he and Drake did "on their own, otherwise they were forced to do everything else."

Pick 'n Save robbery

Reavis said he and Drake were "chilling" when a man armed with an AR-style rifle knocked on their door and told them "they were going to do a job and get him money that day." They then picked up two other people and went to the store to sell phones. He said they sold three phones, got $80 and left. However, he and Drake went back in – Reavis armed with the gun – robbed the store and took the security guard's sunglasses.

Boost Mobile, Greenhouse CBD robberies

Again, Reavis said, "T" ordered him to get money. Reavis said he and Drake first went to a different store to sell phones that were stolen in a previous robbery, but the store did not want them. They then went to the Boost Mobile across the street.

Reavis identified himself as the one armed during the Boost Mobile robbery and Drake as the one who punched the owner. He said they put everything in the owner's car because they "wanted to get away" but realized they couldn't start it. While Reavis held the owner at gunpoint, he said Drake stole from the Greenhouse CBD next door.

St. Sebastian incident

Reavis said "T" came by and "beat on" him and Drake, "demanding his money." The three of them and a woman then started driving round "looking for a car to steal" because they needed a "better" getaway car. That's when they tried to steal the worker's SUV outside the school – but "it went bad."

T-Mobile robbery

Reavis said they went from to the T-Mobile after the St. Sebastian's incident because "T" had demanded money. Reavis said he was armed with the handgun, and that he, Drake and a third person were dropped off in the back of the store. They then went in the front, robbed it and ran

Reavis said "T" was then "satisfied" and considered the debt cleared. They never delivered any of the stolen items to "T" because "there was not an arrangement" and he "thought they were good," Reavis said.