Federal prosecutors say Joseph Lowry of Rochester has pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act Robbery, which is carrying and brandishing a firearm while committing a crime.
The 21-year-old Rochester man admitted to taking part in the holdup of a Seven-11 store last year along with Johnny Blackshell Jr. Blackshell was involved days later in the mass shooting outside the Boys and Girls Club on Genesee Street, for which he’s been sentenced to three life prison terms. Â Similar federal charges have also been brought against Blackshell.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says Lowry and Blackshell held up the store on Lake Avenue at gunpoint on August 10, 2015. They put guns to the heads of store employees and took cash, cigarettes and other merchandise.
Lowry also pleaded guilty to possessing a stolen firearm; a shotgun stolen July 29th, 2015 from a residence on Lake Avenue. Also stolen in that burglary was the AK-47 rifle used in the Boys and Girls Club murders.