KINSTON — Two men have been arrested for the armed robbery of a Lenoir County business on Sunday.

At 8:55 a.m., on Sunday, Jan. 3, the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office responded to an armed robbery at the Blue Door Sweepstakes, 3145 Hwy. 258 North, in Kinston. LCSO deputies arrived and found the business had been robbed by subjects with firearms; those subjects had departed the scene prior to the arrival of law enforcement. 

Deputies and detectives processed the crime scene and conducted numerous interviews, which led to the identification of suspects involved in the incident. Detectives identified the suspects and requested assistance from the Greenville Police Department with locating them within their jurisdiction. Later Sunday afternoon, GPD officers located and arrested the identified suspects of the armed robbery. 

Cory Devon Jones Jr. was arrested and charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon, felony larceny of a firearm, possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of a stolen firearm. Jones was confined in the Lenoir County Sheriff's Office Detention Center under a $520,000 secured bond.

Derrick Demond Dixon was charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon, felony larceny of a firearm, possession of firearm by a felon and possession of a stolen firearm. Dixon was confined in the Lenoir County Sheriff's Office Detention Center under a $550,000 secured bond. 

“These suspects committed a crime and did not make it far before our great detectives were on their trail,” Lenoir County Sheriff Ronnie Ingram said. “They worked quickly to identify the suspects. We are thankful to the Greenville Police Department for their quick work in locating them."

This incident is still under investigation to identify any other persons that may have assisted these suspects before, during or after the robbery.