Gang Member Convicted of Robbing an Elderly Man

Prosecutors in DA Charme Allen’s Career Gang Unit obtained a conviction against a member of the Crips street gang who robbed a seventy-nine-year-old man. Dennis Christopher Lowery, 35, was convicted of Robbery and Theft over $10,000. After the jury returned their verdict, Judge Bob McGee set the case for sentencing on September 22.

At trial, Assistant District Attorney TaKisha Fitzgerald explained to the jury that on December 26, 2015, the seventy-nine-year-old victim was on his way to the bank to put $26,000 in cash in a safe deposit box when he stopped at the Hardee’s at 3318 Chapman Highway for breakfast. When the victim was leaving Hardee’s, Lowery followed him out of the restaurant, chasing the victim around a vehicle and grabbing the cash from the victim’s pockets. In addition to being identified by multiple employees, Lowery was recorded on surveillance cameras at the restaurant committing the robbery.

Robbery and Theft over $10,000 are Class C felonies that carry a punishment from three to six years. At the sentencing hearing, prosecutors will ask for an enhanced sentence because of the nature of the offense and the Defendant’s membership in the Crips street gang.

If you have any questions, please contact Sean McDermott at 865-215-2515 or Sean.McDermott@knoxcounty.org. For more information about the District Attorney’s Office, visit our website at dag.knoxcountytn.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.