POLICE: Clerk arrested, accomplice sought in connection with gas station robbery that was ‘staged’

Laurel County Sheriff’s Deputies have made one arrest and are looking for a second person in connection with an armed robbery at a north Corbin gas station Wednesday morning that they have determined was staged.

According to Sheriff John Root, deputies arrested 30-year-old Charlene Jackson-Masters of London who is employed as a clerk at the store.

Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, the department’s public affairs officer, said that Jackson-Masters was on duty just after 6 a.m. at the store off of Exit 29 when a lone gunman armed with a pistol, entered the store, and after taking the money, locked her in the cooler before fleeing the scene.

“A robbery did occur,” Acciardo said when asked why Jackson-Masters was charged with one count of first-degree robbery.

Acciardo said through the course of the investigation, detectives were able to develop information that the robbery had been staged.

As a result, detectives secured arrest warrants for Jackson-Masters and the “robber,” identified as 19-year-old Daniel Cornelius of OWA Lane in Williamsburg.

Detectives learned that Jackson-Masters may be at an apartment on American Greeting Card Road. Detectives acted on the information and took Jackson-Masters into custody without incident about 10:40 a.m. Monday.

“It was a good, thorough investigation. I can’t be more specific than that,” Acciardo said when asked how detectives determined the robbery was staged.

Acciardo said Jackson-Masters and Cornelius are acquaintances but didn’t specify exactly how they knew each other.

Acciardo said Cornelius should be considered armed and dangerous.

Anyone with information concerning Cornelius’ whereabouts is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at (606) 864-6600 or Laurel dispatch at (606) 878-7000.

Callers may remain anonymous.

“We still think he is in this area,” Acciardo said.

Jackson-Masters is being held in the Laurel County Detention Center on a $10,000 cash bond.

Acciardo said Jackson-Masters may face additional charges unrelated to the robbery.

“It is related to other information that detectives have developed,” Acciardo said, adding that detectives did not provide any details of the nature of the charges.