Cobb County Armed Robber Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison

Marietta, GA -- A Marietta man has been convicted of the armed robbery of a convenience store.

On Thursday, a Cobb jury convicted Johnathan Leonard Smith, 28, of armed robbery and hijacking a motor vehicle. Smith was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

About 6 a.m. on May 14, 2015, a masked man armed with a handgun robbed the BP gas station and store at 1230 Cobb Parkway North near the intersection with Bells Ferry Road. The robber, who wore a hoodie and a mask over part of his face, approached the clerk and demanded money. He also targeted a specific section of the wall of cigarettes, and loaded items into a bag using his left hand.

After taking keys to the clerk’s vehicle, he fled the store and attempted to enter the clerk’s vehicle parked outside. When that did not work, he fled on foot.

A fingerprint was lifted by crime scene technicians from a cigarette box at the scene, and the print matched a known set of prints of Smith’s left hand. Although it was later learned that Smith lived within walking distance of the store, two clerks testified they had never seen him in the store before. Jurors also saw security-camera footage of the crime.

“The case revolved around not just what he took, but what he left behind,” ADA Drew Healy said. “Even though the defendant hid behind a mask, that fingerprint helped the police and the jury discover the truth.”