7-ELEVEN ROBBERY SUSPECT ACCUSED OF KILLING TWO CLERKS WITH DRACO PISTOL BEFORE STEALING LOTTERY TICKETS

A robbery at a Virginia convenience store ended in the deaths of two employees after a gunman allegedly opened fire with a Draco pistol before fleeing with stolen lottery tickets. Now, more than four years after the killings, federal prosecutors have charged a 24-year-old man they believe was responsible for the deadly attack.

Jordan Isaiah Pierce has been charged in a superseding federal indictment in connection with the June 2022 murders of 52-year-old Preyas Patel and 35-year-old Logan Edward Thomas, who were working at a 7-Eleven in Newport News, Virginia, when the robbery occurred.

According to federal prosecutors, Pierce was armed with a Draco pistol during the robbery and allegedly shot both employees before escaping with an undisclosed number of lottery tickets.

The indictment charges Pierce with two counts of using a firearm in a crime of violence resulting in death, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, interference with commerce by robbery, and using a firearm in a crime of violence.

The charges represent a significant development in a case that remained under investigation for years as detectives worked to establish who was responsible for the two deaths.

Two Employees Found Shot Inside the Store

The killings occurred late on June 15, 2022, at a 7-Eleven on Kiln Creek Parkway in Newport News.

At approximately 11:46 p.m., officers with the Newport News Police Department responded to the store after receiving a report of a suspicious situation.

When first responders arrived, they found Patel, 52, and Thomas, 35, suffering from gunshot wounds inside the convenience store.

Both men were pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators determined that the store had been targeted in a robbery involving lottery tickets. Federal prosecutors allege that Pierce and an accomplice were involved and that Pierce used a Draco pistol to shoot the two employees during the crime.

The deaths left investigators facing the difficult task of identifying the people responsible and gathering enough evidence to support criminal charges.

For the victims’ families, the killings meant losing loved ones who had been working when the violence unfolded. The case would remain under investigation long after the crime scene had been processed and the initial leads had been examined.

Investigators Link Suspect to Another Armed Robbery

The investigation took another turn less than a month later.

On July 11, 2022, prosecutors allege that Pierce and his accomplices robbed a different convenience store in Newport News, this time taking cash rather than lottery tickets.

According to federal authorities, the same Draco pistol allegedly used in the fatal June robbery was also involved in the July incident.

An FBI affidavit describes the robbery at Market Express, located in the 13300 block of Warwick Boulevard. Investigators allege that Pierce’s co-conspirator entered the store carrying the firearm and pointed it at the clerk before taking approximately $800 from the register.

Pierce allegedly remained nearby and assisted in the robbery.

The two reportedly fled in a black Nissan Altima.

Investigators said surveillance footage from the July robbery helped them identify Pierce. One investigator reportedly recognized him in video footage connected to both incidents.

The alleged connection between the two robberies became an important part of the investigation, providing detectives with another incident through which they could examine the suspects’ movements and relationships.

Authorities are still searching for the alleged accomplice who prosecutors say participated in the robberies with Pierce.

Cellphone Messages Become Part of the Evidence

Investigators also cited cellphone evidence they believe connected Pierce and other individuals to the July robbery.

According to the FBI affidavit, authorities examined a rose-gold iPhone 6 that they believed Pierce frequently used. The phone had reportedly been seized from a different co-conspirator.

On the morning of July 11, a message was allegedly sent to the device referring to the person wearing glasses at the store. Investigators said the description matched the clerk at Market Express.

Cellular location records also reportedly placed the phone in the vicinity of the store that morning.

Additional messages recovered from the device on July 13 allegedly referred to the robbery. Investigators said the phone’s user warned the registered owner of a Nissan Altima that the vehicle had been used during a robbery.

Taken together with surveillance footage and other investigative findings, prosecutors say the evidence supports their allegations against Pierce.

The cellphone records are particularly significant because they provide investigators with potential links between the people involved, the vehicle allegedly used to flee and the robbery that took place weeks after the fatal shooting.

However, the allegations contained in the indictment still must be established through the legal process.

Police Say the Investigation Took Years

Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew told WAVY, an NBC affiliate based in Portsmouth, Virginia, that investigators had identified a person of interest after the robberies but needed additional evidence before moving forward with the case.

The investigation continued for years, with authorities working to develop the evidence necessary to bring charges.

Drew said investigators believed they now had substantial evidence to present in court. He expressed confidence in the case that prosecutors would build, although the ultimate decision will rest with the court and, if the case proceeds to trial, the jury.

The lengthy investigation illustrates the challenges detectives can face when attempting to solve serious crimes involving multiple suspects, surveillance footage, firearms and communications between alleged participants.

Authorities did not announce the charges until October 2026, more than four years after Patel and Thomas were killed.

Federal Charges Filed Against Pierce

A federal grand jury returned the superseding indictment on October 14, 2026, charging Pierce in connection with the two deaths and the alleged robbery.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, with assistance from the FBI and the Newport News Police Department.

Pierce faces two counts related to the alleged use of a firearm in a crime of violence resulting in death, as well as robbery and conspiracy charges.

Investigators are continuing to search for the alleged accomplice who prosecutors say took part in the robberies.

The indictment marks a major step forward in a case that has haunted investigators since two convenience store employees were found fatally shot during a late-night shift.

Still, federal authorities emphasize that an indictment is an accusation, not a finding of guilt. Pierce is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court.

For the families of Preyas Patel and Logan Edward Thomas, the case now moves into a new phase as prosecutors pursue the charges stemming from the deadly robbery. More than four years after the men were killed, the legal process will determine whether the allegations against Pierce can be proven.

Source: Law&Crime