Raleigh man indicted in Wake County armed robbery spree

Walter Kevin Johnson, of 6124 Braidwood Court, Raleigh, was indicted over a two-day period on 24 charges, including nine counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon, three counts of first-degree kidnapping, three counts of second-degree kidnapping, two counts of larceny of a motor vehicle and two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. 

He also faces one count each of first-degree burglary, attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon, extortion, possession of stolen goods and larceny of a firearm in connection with the crimes that occurred between Sept. 22 and Oct. 8.

In several of the cases, Johnson allegedly approached the victims and used a handgun to rob them of money and personal belongings. Authorities say he also forced some of them to drive to ATMs to withdraw cash. In one case, he's accused of threatening to harm a Cary woman's children if she did not leave him $45,000 in cash at a drop-off point.

Police say several of the crimes happened near Johnson's home, including one less than 2 miles away on Pleasant Valley Road on Sept. 22.

In that case, investigators say, a man armed with a handgun assaulted another man and stole a woman's purse as they walked from their car.

Less than 24 hours later, a woman parking her car at an apartment complex off Duraleigh Road – about 3 miles from Johnson's home – was forced into her car and made to drive to an ATM to withdraw cash. She was dropped off, and her car was later found abandoned near her home.

In one of the latest cases, a Cary woman said she awoke in the middle of the night to an armed man in her bedroom who made her write down her family's banking information and then told her that he would hurt her children if she did not drop off $45,000 for him the following day.

Johnson was arrested on Oct. 11 during a traffic stop and jailed under a $3.925 million bond – an amount that a District Court judge refused to lower during Johnson's first court appearance on Oct. 14.