A man with a decades-long history of robbery convictions has been sentenced to federal prison for an armed robbery at a fast-food restaurant in Fort Oglethorpe that forced employees into a walk-in freezer.
Mario Merriweather, described by prosecutors as a repeat offender with a 30-year criminal record, was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release by William M. Ray II. Merriweather previously pleaded guilty to interference with interstate commerce by robbery on Aug. 14, 2025.
According to Theodore S. Hertzberg, the robbery occurred on Oct. 26, 2023, at a Burger King. Prosecutors said Merriweather entered the restaurant and brandished what appeared to be a pistol, ordering one employee to empty the cash register and forcing multiple workers into a walk-in freezer…