He robbed dozens of NC stores. How Wake County pharmacies led to his arrest
A man previously convicted of dozens of store robberies will now do time in federal prison after holding up multiple Raleigh-area pharmacies, officials announced Monday.
Marvin Rashaad Cummings, 34, pleaded guilty to two counts of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm in connection with a crime of violence Dec. 4, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
Cummings, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison April 16, was tied to six robberies of CVS and Walgreens stores in Wake County in December 2022, the release said.
According to court documents, armed with a handgun, Cummings robbed the following stores:
- Nov. 27, 2022 — CVS, 2340 Spring Forest Road, Raleigh
- Dec. 4, 2022 — Walgreens, 3205 Avent Ferry Road, Raleigh
- Dec. 21, 2022 — Walgreens, 3101 New Bern Ave., Raleigh
- Dec. 22, 2022 — CVS, 7201 Knightdale Blvd., Knightdale
- Dec. 27, 2022 — CVS, 6131 Six Forks Road, Raleigh
- Dec. 29, 2022 — CVS, 3051 New Bern Ave., Raleigh
Cummings had a lengthy history of robbing banks and gas stations in nearby Cumberland County, online records show. He was convicted Dec. 7, 2006, of robbery with a dangerous weapon, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, second-degree kidnapping and conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon, according to the N.C. Department of Adult Correction’s inmate records.
Cummings served just under five years in prison for those offenses and was still on parole when he was charged with robbing 10 stores and banks in Fayetteville and Hope Mills in October and November 2011, according to articles from WRAL. He was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison in those incidents, the TV station reported.
Cummings’ robbery of the New Bern Avenue CVS on Dec. 29, 2022, ultimately led to his arrest, according to the news release. Clad in a gray hoodie and black mask, Cummings pretended to buy a pack of gum before showing a black handgun and demanding money from the register, the release said.
“The suspect then led the clerk upstairs to the store’s safe and stole a large sum of money from the safe that had a tracker attached to it,” the release states.
The tracker led police to a red sedan parked near the CVS, according to the release. Cummings was in the driver’s seat, wearing clothing that matched the description of the suspect and with the mask and gun used, the release said.
A grand jury indicted Cummings on Oct. 3, 2023, on eight charges in the Wake County robberies, and he was arrested nine days later, court records show. Five of those charges were dismissed in exchange for Cummings’ guilty plea in December.
Upon completion of his sentence, Cummings will be on supervised release for five years, according to his sentencing document. He also must pay $1,959 in restitution to the stores and forfeit a Glock 9 mm pistol and $8,409.40, the document states.
This story was originally published April 28, 2025 at 11:14 AM.
