Three men charged for armed robberies

By By Erin Hilsabeck / staff writer
July 3, 2004
The joint efforts of five area law enforcement agencies led to the arrest of three men connected in a string of recent armed robberies that spanned three neighboring counties.
Samon Powell of Philadelphia, Alvino Houston of Preston and Wilbert Evans of Carthage were all arrested Wednesday after a spree of robberies that struck Lauderdale, Neshoba and Kemper counties, according to Maj. Ward Calhoun with the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department.
Lauderdale County deputies, the Philadelphia Police Department and the Neshoba County Sheriff's Office were investigating the Tuesday morning armed robbery of a Super Stop convenience store in Collinsville when on late Wednesday, another armed robbery occurred in DeKalb in nearby Kemper County.
Witnesses at the DeKalb robbery were able to help Neshoba County sheriff's deputies spot the suspects' vehicle, which led to the arrest.
Evans, who is also known as Wilbert Jones, and Houston are both being held in the Neshoba County Jail on two counts of armed robbery. Powell is being held by the DeKalb Police Department.
Officials with the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department have signed warrants on one count of armed robbery for each of the three men. Their bond is set at $30,000.
If found guilty, the men could get up to 15 years in jail for each count.
The DeKalb Police Department, the Kemper County Sheriff's Department, the Philadelphia Police Department, the Neshoba County Sheriff's Office and the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department worked together on this case, Calhoun said.