Mobile man convicted of armed carjacking, robbery in Pascagoula

PASCAGOULA -- A jury Friday convicted a Mobile man of armed carjacking and armed robbery.

Circuit Judge Dale Harkey sentenced Mark Talmadge Agee, 48, as a habitual offender to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

The victim had just gotten off work and stopped at a gas station on Ingalls Avenue when Agee walked up with a handgun, demanded the vehicle and drove off. The victim was not injured.

Agee was already a felon when his three-day trial began in Pascagoula this week. His convictions include armed robbery and carjacking charges in 1998 in Jackson County and receiving stolen property and possession of a forged instrument in Mobile County.

Assistant District Attorneys Bobby Knochel and Bill Barrett prosecuted the case.

"This defendant has demonstrated a life of committing violent acts," Barrett said. "The victim was consistent in telling the details of the incident to law enforcement back in 2012 and to the jury in trial. I am proud of his courage and patience in working with law enforcement and our office to hold this defendant accountable for his actions."

Pascagoula police worked with the Mobile County Sheriff's Office on the investigation.

After the carjacking occurred, Mobile County deputies arrested Agee after spotting him in the victim's vehicle. He gave police a fake name when he was first taken into custody.

"The jury conducted a lengthy and thorough deliberation," District Attorney Tony Lawrence said, "and I am glad they recognized the evidence that proved the defendant's guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

"People who continuously violate our laws should be sentenced as habitual offenders. I hope today's life sentence sends a message that it is not acceptable for the streets of our community to become scenes of violence."

This story was originally published February 26, 2016 at 5:44 PM with the headline "Mobile man convicted of armed carjacking, robbery in Pascagoula ."