Man convicted in anime shop robbery

Gunman had worked at store, employee says.

When a masked man demanded money from clerks at the Best Anime Shoppe, one of the workers knew immediately it was Bereket James Lewis, the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office said.

The employee “thought it was a joke” because he recognized Lewis’ voice; Lewis had previously worked at the Norcross store. But when the employee saw that Lewis was “completely covered” and pointing a gun at him on July 6, 2015, he knew it was serious, the DA’s office said.

Lewis was convicted of two counts of armed robbery, two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and one count each of theft by taking, false imprisonment and kidnapping. After a three-day trial, a jury returned guilty pleas on all counts with which Lewis was charged on Thursday.

Lewis demanded money from the anime store’s employees before forcing them to the ground at gunpoint, the DA’s office said. Lewis took approximately $70,000 and two iPad minis from the store, as well as both employees’ phones and wallets.

One of the stolen iPads was tracked by police to an area in Atlanta where Lewis’ mother used to live, a police officer testified during the trial.

A black Chevrolet Avalanche was captured on surveillance footage near the anime store, and Lewis owned a black Avalanche at the time, the officer said.

Lewis’ sentencing has been postponed to a later date.

Bereket James Lewis