Chesterfield County, Va. – A local man has been sentenced to more than a decade in federal prison for his role in a series of armed robberies that occurred across the Richmond area in 2023.
On Tuesday, March 25, 31-year-old Kumkio Leftha Martin was sentenced to 12 years and three months in prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including armed robbery and brandishing a firearm during a violent crime, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The crimes, which took place in April and May of 2023, left several victims traumatized and led to a complex investigation by local law enforcement agencies.
The first of the robberies occurred on April 22, 2023, when two individuals were held at gunpoint during a robbery on Dunston Avenue in Richmond. Law enforcement quickly began to investigate the crime, using the victims’ descriptions of the suspect and his vehicle to track down leads. Surveillance footage from the scene showed a four-door Acura sedan with a moonroof and distinctive stickers on its windows, which led investigators to identify the registered owner as Martin’s girlfriend.
The following day, on April 23, 2023, Martin committed a second robbery at a convenience store in Chesterfield County. According to court documents, Martin entered the store, pointed a gun at the staff, and demanded cash, cigarettes, and other personal items, including several phones and a bag containing payroll checks, credit cards, car keys, and cash. Police were once again able to link the suspect vehicle—a match to the Acura sedan seen in the earlier robbery—via nearby surveillance footage.
A third robbery took place on May 4, 2023, at a Tobacco Hut in Richmond. This time, Martin entered the store, brandished a firearm, and demanded money and vaping products from an employee. His girlfriend was reportedly present during the robbery. Two minutes after Martin left the store, the distinctive Acura sedan was spotted on camera driving past the scene.
The investigation culminated when police officers stopped Martin while he was driving the Acura sedan. During a search of his girlfriend’s home, they recovered the firearm used in the Tobacco Hut robbery. Martin later pleaded guilty to charges related to the May 4 robbery, and his plea also acknowledged his involvement in the April 23 robbery in Chesterfield County. However, the April 22 robbery was not explicitly included in his guilty plea.
The case faced a legal challenge when Martin’s defense team argued that the use of license plate reader technology to link him to the crimes violated his Fourth Amendment rights. However, the judge ruled against the defense, allowing the evidence to be used in the case.
Martin’s sentence comes as part of a broader effort by law enforcement to combat violent crime in the Richmond area. The case highlights the significant role that technology, such as surveillance footage and license plate readers, plays in modern criminal investigations, as well as the growing challenges and legal questions surrounding their use.
As Martin begins his 12-year sentence, the case serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of violent crime and the perseverance of law enforcement in bringing perpetrators to justice.
