YOUNGSTOWN — A Youngstown man has been indicted federally in a string of robberies.

Melvin L. Jackson, 18, of East LaClede Avenue, has been in the Mahoning County jail since Jan. 20, when he was arrested in connection with seven armed robberies in Youngstown, Boardman and Struthers.

Last week, prosecutors filed an information in federal court charging him with three counts of interference with commerce by means of robbery and two weapons charges.

At the time of Jackson’s arrest, Youngstown police had detectives working a “proactive aggravated robbery” assignment to try to catch those responsible for a robbery spree, Youngstown police Chief Robin Lees said in January.

A federal court document states that an FBI agent began to investigate Jan. 2 after a Dec. 21 robbery at the Kwik Fill gas station, 630 Youngstown Poland Road in Struthers, that netted two masked men $3,500 in cash.

It led police to make a Jan. 20 traffic stop that resulted in Jackson admitting to robbing a Family Dollar on Oak Street, Speedway on Meridian Road, Kwik Fill in Struthers, Speedway on Midlothian Boulevard, Dollar General on Belmont Avenue, Subway on Midlothian Boulevard and Dollar General on McGuffey Road, the document states.

A news release from the office of U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman of the Northern District of Ohio states that Jackson is alleged to have committed a series of armed robberies from Dec. 17-21. The news release notes the robberies at a Boardman Speedway, Youngstown Subway and Struthers Kwik-Fill.

erunyan@tribtoday.com