WINSTON SALEM — A judge in federal district court sentenced two Stanly County men, Maliq Raekwon Parker and Sean Christopher Parker, Tuesday in relation to two armed robberies of businesses in Cabarrus County in 2021, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina.

Maliq Parker, 20, of Albemarle, was sentenced for his role in both the armed robbery of an AT&T Store in Harrisburg, and the attempted armed robbery of Mount Pleasant Sporting Goods and Pawn, Inc. in Mount Pleasant. He was sentenced to 210 months in prison.

His codefendant, Sean Parker, 23, of Badin, was sentenced for his role in only the attempted armed robbery. He was sentenced to 148 months in prison.

According to court documents, on Oct. 28, 2021, Maliq Parker robbed an AT&T Store in Harrisburg of cellphones using a Glock 9mm pistol. During the robbery, store employees were forced into a rear office at gunpoint where the merchandise was then taken. Maliq Parker discharged his firearm once while in the rear office.

According to court documents, on Nov. 4, 2021, an attempted robbery occurred at Mount Pleasant Sporting Goods and Pawn, Inc., in Mount Pleasant where two males attempted to steal a firearm at gunpoint, shooting a store owner six times in the process.

After initially being shot, the victim crawled to a nearby counter and obtained a firearm that he used to fend off the robbers. The robbers were later determined to be Maliq Parker and Sean Parker. Both men were armed with handguns and discharged their firearms during the attempted robbery.

Maliq Parker shot the victim at close range with the same Glock 9mm pistol used in the AT&T Store robbery.

Sean Parker discharged a .40 caliber pistol once, before both men ran out of the store.

As the defendants fled, an off-duty Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office deputy saw the armed men running to their vehicle and engaged them. When Sean Parker refused commands to drop the gun, the off-duty deputy shot him, but he still got in the car and they drove away. The off-duty deputy assisted the victim until paramedics arrived, and the victim survived despite gunshot wounds to his arms, legs and torso.

Sean Parker was dropped off at the hospital where he was treated for his own injuries and was apprehended by police.

Maliq Parker was apprehended shortly after by officers looking for the grey Ford Focus that was used during the attempted robbery and was later seen on hospital security cameras when Sean Parker was dropped off at the hospital. After a search of the vehicle, officers located items previously stolen from the AT&T Store.

United States District Judge Thomas D. Schroeder sentenced Maliq Parker to a 210-month term of imprisonment, followed by a three-year term of federal supervised release. He pled guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of attempted interference with commerce by robbery on July 6, 2023, in case number 1:23CR62-1.

Sean Parker was also sentenced to a 148-month term of imprisonment, followed by a three-year term of federal supervised release. He pled guilty to one count of attempted interference with commerce by robbery on July 6, 2023, in case number 1:23CR62-2.

The case was investigated Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Richland County (S.C.) Sheriff’s Department, the Albemarle Police Department and the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig M. Principe.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make neighborhoods safer for everyone.

On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.