It was one of several auto parts stores they’re accused of robbing in metro Atlanta. But on Jan. 8, 2020, the pair didn’t just steal. This time, they shot and killed a cashier.
Prince Tafari Robertson pulled the trigger and Tavares Levon Norah served as the getaway driver, according to investigators. Late last week, the two pleaded guilty to murdering Felix Cosme, a retired Gwinnett County deputy who was working as a cashier, according to the district attorney.
“This was a case that was scheduled to go to trial this month,” DA Patsy Austin-Gatson said in a news release. “Our team worked hard to negotiate these pleas resulting in lengthy prison sentences for two extremely violent offenders that terrorized our region.”
Robertson, 31, and Norah, 29, pleaded guilty Friday and were sentenced.
Robertson, of Lawrenceville, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after he serves 30 years. He pleaded guilty to one count of felony murder, eight counts of armed robbery, four counts of aggravated assault, one count of criminal damage to property in the second degree, and one count of obstruction of an officer, the DA’s office said.
Credit: Gwinnett County Police Department
Credit: Gwinnett County Police Department
Norah, of Buford, was sentenced to 40 years with the first 20 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to 10 counts of armed robbery, three counts of aggravated assault, one count of criminal damage to property in the second degree, and one count of obstruction of an officer. His sentence requires him to serve 20 years without the possibility of parole.
Cosme, 63, had retired from the Gwinnett sheriff’s office and was working at the O’Reilly Auto Parts store on Hamilton Mill Road near Buford when he was killed. Cosme, who was a sergeant from April 2006 until November 2015, had reached for his own weapon to protect a co-worker when he was shot, according to police.
After Cosme’s death, Gwinnett police teamed up with the FBI and learned the men matched the descriptions of suspects wanted in four previous robberies of Gwinnett auto parts stores.
In June 2020, both Robertson and Norah were arrested, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported. The pair remain under investigation for armed robberies at stores in several other metro counties, the DA said.
Cosme’s law enforcement career began in 1979, according to his online obituary. He worked for the Macon Police Department, Charleston Police Department and Newburg, New York Police Department before joining the Gwinnett sheriff’s office.
About the Author
