Spalding county man convicted of armed robbery

​On Thursday, April 28, 2022 a Spalding County jury convicted Lend Byrd Jefferson, a 28-year-old male from Florida of multiple charges after a week of trial.
 
The jury convicted Jefferson of 2 counts of Armed Robbery, 2 counts of Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Firearm During Commission of a Felony, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Jefferson had a prior conviction for Robbery with a Firearm out of Florida. The Honorable W. Fletcher Sams sentenced Jefferson to Life in prison without the possibility of parole.
 
Jefferson and a co-defendant who will be tried at a later date, entered Ringold’s Grocery on August 21, 2019, around 9 pm. Jefferson brandished a firearm at a store clerk while the co-defendant took money, the clerk’s purse and wallet. Jefferson and the co-defendant were arrested the next day, and the stolen property was recovered in their residence.
 
Assistant District Attorneys Adelle Petersen and Holly MacDonald tried the case for the State. “My Spalding County office has worked extremely hard these past two weeks to present these cases to a jury. This jury has spoken and let this verdict also send a message that law abiding citizens are completely fed up with violent crime in our community. To those that insist on committing violent crime, just stop. Enough is enough.”