Federal investigators have arrested a man accused of using an array of disguises to carry out at least 11 armed robberies across the metropolitan Atlanta area over the past three months.
Tracy Mingo, 32, of College Park, Georgia, was taken into custody on 2 January in Doraville by the FBI's Violent Crime Squad, the agency said. He was allegedly preparing to target another business when arrested.
The spree ran from October to December, with robberies at Circle K, Subway and Family Dollar stores in Cobb, Gwinnett, Fulton and DeKalb counties. Surveillance footage showed the suspect wearing outfits resembling a security guard, construction worker and food delivery driver to approach staff before producing a firearm. FBI Supervisory Agent Matthew Komar said Mingo endangered employees, often singling out women working late at night.
Investigators believe Mingo cased locations in advance, observing staffing and customer levels, and focused on shops where female staff were closing, apparently to reduce resistance and witnesses. Each robbery netted roughly $2,000 to $3,000, authorities said. Incidents under investigation include a mid-December Family Dollar robbery on Bouldercrest Road, a late-December Subway holdup in Marietta, and another Family Dollar robbery in Decatur days later.
Mingo is being held at Fulton County Jail facing charges that include armed robbery, kidnapping, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and terroristic threats. The FBI believes there may be further victims and has invited law enforcement agencies with unsolved robberies to contact them if a connection is suspected.
