Greenville County Sheriff’s deputies have arrested two people in connection with a string of armed robberies in the Piedmont area early this morning (Tuesday, July 8).
Tracy Lynn Tate, 40, and Stephen Mark Tate, 53, of Faith Drive, Greenville, are both charged with three counts of armed robbery and criminal conspiracy. Stephen Tate also faces an additional charge of possession of drug paraphernalia. The husband and wife were taken into custody at the Shell station at the corner of Old Pelzer Road and Bessie Road at 8 a.m.
Deputies took the couple in for questioning about the robberies after a traffic stop at the Shell station, according to Greenville County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Jonathan Smith.
The first two robberies happened in Greenville County.
The first was at the QT located at 1509 Grove Road, reported at 2:47 a.m.. Then, at 3:39 a.m., another armed robbery was reported at the 7-11, located at 7803 Augusta Road, according to dispatchers.
They are suspected of being involved in three additional Piedmont robberies. AT 4:48 a.m., Anderson County dispatchers received a report of an attempted robbery at the Spinx gas station, located at 2100 Highway 86 in Piedmont.
Three minutes later, at 4:51 a.m., dispatchers received another report came of a robbery at the Hickory Point gas station, located at 2312 Easley Highway, also in Piedmont.
Another third robbery was reported at 6:23 a.m. at the Sav-Way gas station, located at 202 Piedmont Highway in Piedmont.
In all cases, there were no reports of shots fired or injuries, according to reports. In each incident, the female robber drove was the passenger in a gold-colored Buick which drove off from the scene.
Anderson County Sheriff’s Office spokerperson Sheila Cole said they believe the Anderson County robberies are connected to the Greenville cases.
