Robber who bound and blindfolded Costco employees gets 25 years

HALIFAX – An armed robber who terrorized employees in a series of heists across Nova Scotia has been given a 25-year prison sentence.

The Crown recommended that Jermaine Carvery serve a life sentence for the robberies, which netted $500,000 in cash and goods for Carvery and his crew.

Carvery was sentenced on charges of attempted murder, robbery and forcible confinement.

The robberies occurred at a Costco in Halifax, a TRA Cash and Carry in Truro and Chrissy’s Trading Post in Hammonds Plains.

All of the robberies happened in 2004 and involved employees being held hostage.

At the Costco, the robbers bound and in some cases blindfolded about 40 employees over a 2 1/2 hour period as they arrived for work.

The defence asked for 15 to 20 years in prison, saying Carvery is remorseful and committed the crimes to feed a gambling habit.