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Two men face 35 charges for Lower Mainland armed-robbery spree

Pair struck businesses in Abbotsford, Langley, Chilliwack, Maple Ridge and Surrey
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Police were on the scene at an Abbotsford Subway restaurant on Jan. 11, 2020 after an armed robbery. Two men were arrested, and they have now been charged with several other robberies in the Lower Mainland. (Kevin MacDonald file photo)

Two men who were charged with the robbery of an Abbotsford Subway restaurant in January now face 35 more charges for similar incidents in Langley, Chilliwack, Maple Ridge and Surrey.

Justin Randy Walsh, 22, and Clint Aaron Jeremy Billy, 33, were first charged after two masked men with firearms robbed the Subway location on McCallum Road in Abbotsford on Jan. 11 at about 1 a.m.

Police had the pair under surveillance at the time, and the suspects were arrested as they left the store.

Walsh and Billy were subsequently charged with robbery, using an imitation firearm and disguising their faces with the intent to commit an offence. Those charges are still before the courts.

At the time of their arrests, police said the two men were believed to be linked to another 16 armed robberies that had begun in December 2019 throughout the Lower Mainland.

RELATED: Two men arrested after robbing Abbotsford Subway

Police said the robbery spree had involved two masked men with firearms, one which appeared to be a long gun and the other a handgun.

The robberies occurred at liquor stores, gas stations, convenience stores and banks.

According to the provincial court database, Walsh and Billy were charged with the additional offences on Aug. 21 of this year.

They each face multiple counts of robbery, using an imitation firearm and disguising their faces with the intent of committing an offence.

The dates of the offences are Dec. 10 and Dec. 29 in Langley; Dec. 23, 27 and 31 in Abbotsford; Dec. 27 and Jan. 7 in Chilliwack; Dec. 29 and Jan. 4 in Maple Ridge; and Jan. 4 in Surrey.

Walsh previously pleaded guilty to charges of assaulting a peace officer, dangerous operation of a vehicle and occupying a vehicle with a firearm from January 2019 in Abbotsford.

He was sentenced in August 2019 to time served, a three-year driving ban and three years of probation.

Billy has numerous prior convictions for robbery, as well as for other offences such as assault causing bodily harm, assault with a weapon, break-and-enter, theft, possession of stolen property, uttering threats, and breaching his probation and bail conditions.

RELATED: Two men arrested in connection with 16 Lower Mainland armed robberies



vhopes@abbynews.com

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Vikki Hopes

About the Author: Vikki Hopes

I have been a journalist for almost 40 years, and have been at the Abbotsford News since 1991.
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