Two individuals are facing robbery and firearms charges in a federal indictment unsealed Tuesday in connection with the robbery of Bill’s Coin and Jewelry in Jackson on Dec. 17, 2016, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze.

Joshua Michael Garcia, 38, of Vancleave, is charged with robbery, three counts of discharging a firearm causing the murder of three individuals, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of death or imprisonment for any term of years or life, and a fine of up to $1.25 million.

Jamison Layne Townsend, 36, of Blue Springs, Missouri, is charged with robbery and three counts of discharging a firearm causing the murder of three individuals. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of death or imprisonment for any term of years or life, and a fine of up to $1 million.

This investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jackson Police Department with assistance from the U.S. Marshal Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Gulfport Police Department, and the Geary County Sheriff’s Department in Geary, Kansas.

The defendants were arraigned in federal court Tuesday afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge F. Keith Ball.

A criminal indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. It is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.