A 57-year-old Detroit man is accused of turning an ordinary night shift at two Madison Heights businesses into an armed-robbery scare, and now he is sitting in the Oakland County Jail with no bond. Police say Derrick Hughes was arrested today and arraigned after he allegedly robbed a McDonald’s and a 7-Eleven at gunpoint. No one was injured in either incident, and a judge denied bond, keeping Hughes behind bars while the case plays out.
The investigation began after a Jan. 13 holdup at a 7-Eleven on John R Road, where a man reportedly grabbed items, then pulled a handgun and demanded cash from the register before fleeing east on Whitcomb Avenue, according to ClickOnDetroit. Surveillance footage was reviewed and police asked the public for tips, hoping someone would recognize the suspect.
Weeks later, the same man was accused of striking again. According to The Oakland Press, Hughes is suspected of a March 27 robbery at the McDonald’s on John R Road. Police say the robber pulled out a revolver, ordered four employees to empty their pockets and herd them into the men’s restroom, then took cash from the register and the store safe before leaving. Hughes was later arrested and arraigned in the 43rd District Court, where he was charged with five counts of felony armed robbery and four counts of felony unlawful imprisonment. The paper also reports Hughes has prior felony convictions, including aggravated assault and bank robbery, and has been listed as a parole absconder since Dec. 21, 2025.
Multiagency investigation
Madison Heights police say they had help on the case from the FBI’s Oakland County Gang and Violent Crime Task Force, a multiagency team that works with state and local departments on violent-crime investigations. The January 7-Eleven case drew local coverage when police went public with the suspect photo and a request for tips, as chronicled in Hoodline.
Charges, penalties and next steps
The armed-robbery counts Hughes faces come with stiff potential punishment under Michigan law, and unlawful-imprisonment charges can carry up to 15 years in prison plus fines, according to The Oakland Press. Hughes is scheduled for a probable-cause conference on April 22 via Zoom, and from there the case will continue through the Oakland County court system…