Lumberton man arrested for impersonating officer, serial armed robberies
A man is custody after police say he impersonated law enforcement to commit armed robbery for months.
According to the Lumberton Police Department, 49-year-old Bryant Layvon Hawthorne is under arrest and charged with multiple felonies, including armed robbery and impersonating a law enforcement officer.
Police say Hawthorne impersonated law enforcement and robbed multiple stores over two months.
Police provided a timeline of Hawthorne’s activity:
- Sept. 13: Hawthorne walked into Smoke City on Fayetteville Road in Lumberton with a gun and a badge, stating he was an ALE (Alcohol Law Enforcement) agent and came to do an inspection. Hawthorne took the money while inside and left in a dark-colored Jeep.
- Oct. 17: Hawthorn grabbed a cash register inside the Walgreens on Fayetteville Road in Lumberton and drove away in a dark-colored Jeep.
- Oct. 22: Hawthorne robbed Smoke City a second time and left in a dark-colored Jeep. Police said witnesses recognized Hawthorne as the same person who impersonated law enforcement in September.
- Nov. 6: Hawthorne robbed the Lion’s Den on Lackey Street. An employee said Hawthorne came to the register as he was paying for an item, pulled out a handgun and demanded money. Hawthorne left in a dark-colored Jeep
- Nov. 20: Hawthorne impersonated law enforcement and robbed Brandon’s Quick Check on East 5th Street.
Shortly after the robbery at Brandon’s Quick Mart, police located Hawthorne’s dark-colored Jeep Cherokee on Roberts Avenue and attempted to stop the vehicle.
Police said Hawthorne refused to stop and crashed into a car parked on Carver Street. Hawthorn ran on foot but was later caught and arrested.
Hawthorne faces the following charges:
- Two counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon
- Two counts of second-degree kidnapping
- Impersonating a law enforcement officer
- Two counts of misdemeanor theft, felony theft, injury to personal property, resisting public officer
- Felony flee/elude arrest with a motor vehicle
Hawthorne remains in custody at the Robeson County Detention Center.
