10-Year Sentence Rendered In AT&T Crime Spree With Enfield Ties

ENFIELD, CT — A man implicated in a string of violent robberies and attempted robberies at AT&T stores in Connecticut and western Massachusetts — including an incident in Enfield — has received a 10-year sentence.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut, said that Alex Josephs, 23, of Hartford, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2021, Josephs, Shaquille Raymond, Ronaldo Smith and Deshawn Baugh were part of a group that typically entered the stores shortly before closing, pointed weapons at employees, and, at times, pistol-whipped, dragged and shoved employees toward the back inventory room. They then held the employees at gunpoint while loading large bags with cell phones and other electronics, according to case records.

The group stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in merchandise, Avery said.

Saviana Bourne, who worked at AT&T stores, helped plan the robberies, served as a getaway driver, and coordinated the sale of the stolen merchandise.

The investigation revealed that Josephs, Raymond, and Smith robbed AT&T stores in Newington on Jan. 29, 2021, and Enfield on Feb. 24, 2021.

Baugh then joined the conspiracy and together they robbed an AT&T store in Canton on April 15, 2021, and attempted to rob stores in Torrington and Glastonbury in May 2021, but were locked out of the stores, Avery said.

On June 6, 2021, Josephs and his associates, armed with a semiautomatic pistol, two revolvers, and a semiautomatic rifle, robbed an AT&T store in West Springfield, Massachusetts. After the robbery, they fled in a vehicle driven by Bourne, who led police on a high-speed chase that ended when their vehicle collided with a Massachusetts State Police cruiser, according to case records. Josephs, Raymond, Smith, Baugh, and Bourne were arrested, and a search of the vehicle revealed more than $150,000 in stolen merchandise, as well as the firearms used during the robbery.

Judge Underhill ordered Josephs to pay restitution of $298,073.86, which reflects the losses from the Newington, Enfield and Canton robberies. The property stolen in the West Springfield robbery was recovered.

Josephs has been detained since his arrest. On Nov. 30, 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

Raymond, Smith, Baugh, and Bourne also pleaded guilty. On March 1, Baugh was sentenced to 108 months of imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution of $124,842.45, which reflects the loss from the Canton robbery.

On March 29, 2022, Raymond was sentenced to 72 months of imprisonment and Bourne was sentenced to 78 months of imprisonment. Raymond and Bourne were also ordered to pay restitution of $298,073.86.

Smith awaits sentencing.

Josephs and Raymond, who are citizens of Jamaica, face immigration proceedings when they are released from prison, Avery said.