Seattle man sentenced for string of marijuana dispensary robberies

Seattle - A 19-year-old Seattle-area man, was sentenced October 18, 2024, to 90 months in prison for a series of seven armed robberies of marijuana dispensaries, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Caiden James Charlton was arrested in June 2023, in connection with three armed robberies in May and June 2023. He pleaded guilty in July 2024 admitting his involvement in all seven robberies. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones imposed three years of supervised release to follow prison.

"This defendant and his juvenile accomplices targeted small businesses - marijuana dispensaries - across our region. With guns drawn they frightened employees grabbing cash and product and in one case even stealing the safe," said U.S. Attorney Gorman. "This dangerous conduct cannot be tolerated."

According to records filed in the case, Charlton pleaded guilty in July 2024 to committing three pot shop robberies on May 30, 2023, The first robbery was of Herb's House on NW 65^th Street in Seattle. The second was West Seattle Cannabis and the third robbery was of Hashtag Cannabis on Nickerson Street in Seattle. On June 10, 2023, Charlton and an accomplice robbed Oz Cannabis on Stone Way in Seattle. The next day, June 11, 2023, Charlton robbed Novel Tree MJ in Bellevue, and on June 12, he robbed Seaweed Cannabis in Edmonds, Washington. Finally, on June 21, he and accomplices robbed Dockside Cannabis in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. In each of the robberies, surveillance video shows clothing, tattoos, and jewelry that was linked to Charlton. Victims of the robberies noted distinctive face tattoos around Charlton's eyes that were not concealed by his mask.

In each of the robberies, one of two intruders displayed a handgun and ordered the dispensary staff to open safes or empty the till. In addition to money, the suspects stole a large amount of marijuana products. In some cases, the safes at the dispensaries could not be opened due to time locks used to discourage robberies. In one case, the robbers stole the safe by detaching it from the floor.

The robbery crew would run to a getaway car after the robberies - two of the cars had been reported stolen.

In asking for an eight-year prison sentence Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg wrote to the court, "The offense conduct in this case is extremely serious. Charlton went on a violent crime spree, robbing seven marijuana dispensaries over the course of 30 days. During each robbery, he and/or his accomplices were armed with firearms and used them - brandishing the guns, pointing them directly at the victims, etc. It is very fortunate that no one was shot or otherwise injured. The Court is well aware that similar robberies often end up with shootings and/or deaths, when victims act in ways not expected by the perpetrators or with the accidental discharge of a firearm."

Some the robbery victims wrote to the court about the trauma the robberies caused in their life. One owner wrote, "… these robberies destroyed the business my wife and I worked to build over the nine plus years…. When they walk into a business with guns and demand money and product, the impact goes way beyond the loss of money and product."

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Seattle Police Department, and the Bellevue Police Department, as well as the King County and Snohomish County Sheriffs' Offices.

The case was prosecuted by former Assistant United States Attorneys Erin H. Becker and Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.