Federal judge hands lengthy sentence in 2025 Speedway kidnapping case
A federal judge sentenced a Winston-Salem man to 24 years, five months in prison after he pleaded guilty to kidnapping a convenience store employee during an attempted robbery and to being a felon in possession of a firearm, officials said Friday.
Deangelo Shamond Toomer, 41, of Winston-Salem, received the sentence along with 5 years of post-release supervision, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Dan Bishop for the Middle District of North Carolina. The sentence covers the federal kidnapping and weapons counts announced by prosecutors.
The events stem from an early-morning incident on Jan. 8, 2025, at a Speedway convenience store on the 2700 block of University Parkway where surveillance video showed a man with a gun forcing the store clerk to write and hang a sign stating the store was closed, then escorting her at gunpoint to her vehicle.
- Incident date: Jan. 8, 2025
- Location: Speedway convenience store, 2700 block of University Parkway, Winston-Salem
- Defendant: Deangelo Shamond Toomer, 41, Winston-Salem
- Sentence: 24 years, 5 months federal prison; plus 5 years post-release supervision
How authorities located and captured the suspect
After the clerk was forced into her 2019 Ford Escape, court records state Toomer drove the vehicle to Unicoi County, Tennessee, with the employee bound in the back seat by her shoelaces. An Ashanti Alert was issued for the vehicle, and deputies in Unicoi County located and traffic-stopped the Ford Escape.
Deputies were able to take Toomer into custody despite an attempted flight, and he was extradited back to Forsyth County to face prosecution, according to previously reported accounts of the case.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Attempted robbery and kidnapping at Speedway | Jan. 8, 2025 |
| Traffic stop and arrest (Unicoi County, Tenn.) | Shortly after Jan. 8, 2025 |
| Federal sentencing announced | Sept. 4, 2026 |
Prosecutors also noted that the judge imposed an additional 15-year sentence with three years post-release supervision, which will run concurrently with the longer federal term, according to the U.S. attorney’s release.
Local implications and investigatory details
The case illustrates coordination between local, state and federal authorities. Winston-Salem Police Department officers initially responded to the store after a report about the incident. Surveillance footage played a central role in identifying the suspect and his actions inside the store, while the Ashanti Alert and Tennessee deputies were key to locating and stopping the vehicle out of state.
The use of interstate alerts and cross-jurisdictional cooperation helped secure a rapid resolution after what prosecutors described as a dangerous kidnapping of a retail worker. The victim’s identity has not been released publicly in court records cited by prosecutors.
Sentences of this length in federal court reflect the gravity of kidnapping charges and the enhancement for a defendant convicted of possessing a firearm after a felony conviction. The U.S. attorney’s office for the Middle District of North Carolina handled the federal prosecution.
Residents and business owners in Winston-Salem and other Triad communities often point to such incidents when discussing security measures for late-night retail operations. Law enforcement agencies continue to encourage vigilance, reporting suspicious activity and using available alert systems when someone is believed to be in danger.
The sentence marks a conclusion to the federal portion of prosecution in a case that began with a dramatic overnight crime at a busy University Parkway location and ended with an out-of-state arrest and extradition back to Forsyth County.
