Two Suffolk men and a Portsmouth man were indicted on Wednesday by a federal grand jury in Norfolk on charges of robbery and use of a firearm during a crime of violence.

Suffolk’s Douglas Tyrone Byron, 34, and Tabarus Mandell Holland, 31, along with Jonathan Ray Allen, 27, of Portsmouth, all face a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted of the crimes.

According to the indictment, Byron, Holland and Allen robbed approximately 10 stores throughout Hampton Roads in May and June of this year. Among the alleged targets were various check-cashing stores, a Family Dollar, a beauty parlor and a Foot Locker shoe store.

The indictment further alleges that the men entered the stores, brandished firearms and demanded money from the employees of each of the stores, in some cases threatening to kill the employees if they did not cooperate.

The men are alleged to have forced the employees into the back room of the store after each robbery, instructing the employees to stay there until they had counted to 100, allowing the suspects to make their escape.

Police identified Byron, Holland and Allen based on photo lineups in which store employees identified the suspects, according to U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride.