STRATFORD, CT — Four Bridgeport men were indicted by a federal court grand jury in Hartford last month on robbery and firearms charges related to multiple armed robberies of stores and an Amazon delivery truck, U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery announced. Also participating in the announcement was Robert Fuller, special agent in charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The crimes were committed in Bridgeport, Milford and Stratford in 2022 and 2023.

The following were accused:

Elijah Raffington, 21

Rajonne Blake, also known as “Ray Ray”, 25

The indictment was returned under seal on July 11 and accuses the four of the following:

• On December 15, 2022, Raffington and Profit committed an armed robbery of Omega Deli, 999 Maplewood Avenue in Bridgeport;
• On December 21, 2022, Raffington, Daniels and Profit committed an armed robbery of Milford Convenience & Tobacco, 784 Boston Post Road in Milford;
• On December 23, 2022, Raffington, Daniels, Blake, Profit, and another individual committed an armed robbery of an Amazon delivery truck and merchandise in Bridgeport;
• On December 23, 2022, Raffington, Daniels and Profit committed an armed robbery at Smoke Shop at 2175 Boston Avenue in Bridgeport.
• On January 2, 2023, Raffington, Daniels and Blake committed an armed robbery at Cumberland Farms, 1290 West Broad Street in Stratford.

From the announcement:

The six-count indictment charges each defendant with multiple counts of obstruction of commerce by robbery (“Hobbs Act robbery”), a misdemeanor that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count. In addition, Daniels and Profit are charged with carrying, using and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and Raffington and Blake are charged with aiding and abetting the same, a misdemeanor that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years and a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The indictment was unsealed on August 1, 2024, after Blake’s arrest. Raffington, Daniels, and Profit were in state custody. All defendants were arraigned in federal court in New Haven, pleaded not guilty, and were incarcerated.

US Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not proof of guilt. Charges are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bridgeport Police Department, the Stratford Police Department, and the Milford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile.

The case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Department of Justice launched a Violent Crime Reduction Strategy to Strengthen PSN, based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence in the first place, setting targeted and strategic law enforcement priorities, and measuring results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit www.justice.gov/psn.