A serial armed robber received life in prison Thursday under the federal "three-strikes" law.
In a five-day spree in 2008, Adolphus Dixon, 43, of Atlanta, robbed three Family Dollar stores, a Super IGA grocery store and a Rite Aid pharmacy, and tried to rob a SunTrust bank, prosecutors say. He was convicted last October.
Because Dixon had previous convictions for armed robbery and armed bank robbery, U.S. District Judge Charles A. Pannell Jr. sentenced him to life under the "three-strikes" statute.
"He will no longer be able to terrorize this community," acting U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said.
Co-defendant Christopher Smith, 37, of Atlanta, who prosecutors say participated in the Family Dollar store robberies, received 22 years in prison.
The FBI identified Dixon and Smith thanks to video surveillance and descriptions of the robbers and getaway car provided by witnesses. Atlanta police arrested the duo during a traffic stop on Sept. 12, 2008. The case was investigated by the FBI, and Atlanta and Douglasville police.
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