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.
One employee prevented the freezer door from locking, allowing another worker to call 911. Another employee who escaped was lawfully armed and chased Merriweather outside. When Merriweather turned and pointed what appeared to be a firearm at the employee, the employee fired two shots but did not hit him.
Merriweather fled but collapsed near his vehicle. Responding officers found him lying in the roadway next to an air pistol and recovered a Burger King bag filled with cash.
“Undeterred by multiple stints in state prison, Merriweather repeatedly terrorized victims who were simply trying to go about their jobs,” Hertzberg said in a statement. “His most recent attack … has resulted in a significant sentence that demonstrates that criminals who try to ‘have it their way’ by robbing citizens in this district will be held accountable and removed from the community.”
Officials said Merriweather’s criminal history includes robbing a Wendy’s and another Burger King in 2001, robbing two individuals in 2005, and robbing two banks in 2013.
Mitchell Jackson, special supervisory resident agent of the FBI’s Cartersville office, said the case highlights the importance of cooperation between agencies.
“No one should ever be terrorized physically or emotionally, like the victims in these violent armed robberies were,” Jackson said. “The FBI is proud to work with our local law enforcement partners in helping to convict these repeat offenders at the federal level, where they face stiffer penalties and no opportunity for parole.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin A. Leipold III.