COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A man convicted by a federal jury for committing six robberies in Columbus over a two-month span in 2020 could serve up to 27 years in prison.
According to the office of Kenneth Parker, the U.S. Attorney of the Southern District of Ohio, Ronald Lee Jacobs, 46, of Columbus, was found guilty of six counts of robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The robberies occurred between Sept. 5, 2020, and October 12, 2020.
The release said that Jacobs committed six robberies using a machine gun or handgun at the following locations:
- Hampton Inn on South Hamilton Road (9/5/20)
- Wing Snob on North High Street (9/12/20)
- United Dairy Farmers on North High Street (9/24/20)
- Shell Gas Station on South Hamilton Road (9.30.2020)
- Wing Snob (10/8/2020)
- Walgreens on East Livingston Avenue (12/12/20)
Federal indictment documents indicate that Jacobs used a machine gun for the Hampton Inn and first Wing Snob robberies and a handgun during the UDF, Shell, second Wing Snob and Walgreens robberies. In every robbery, Jacobs threatened the use of force or violence.
An investigation into the Walgreens robbery found that Jacobs asked a store clerk for a pack of gum and then a pack of cigarettes. When the clerk asked Jacobs for identification, Jacobs produced a gun. A thumbprint on a pack of gum was traced back to Jacobs, who left the item behind on the Walgreens counter.
Jacobs reportedly worked at a glue factory and during multiple robberies, was seen with visible glue splatters on his clothes. Jacobs also called off work during one of the incidents and left work in the middle of his shift during another robbery.
A warrant was issued for his arrest and on November 2, 2020, Jacobs turned himself in. He admitted to the Walgreens robbery, citing low income and needing child support money.
Police arrested Jacobs in November of 2020 and he was indicted in March of 2021. He could face up to 20 years in prison for the six robberies and an additional seven years for the weapons charge. He was found not guilty on four additional counts of brandishing a firearm.
In 2008, Jacobs was sentenced to six years in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas after being found guilty of aggravated robbery and having weapons under disability. He also served three years from a 1999 conviction on abduction and tampering with evidence charges in Marion County.
