Twenty-three-year-old D’Andre Garry of Hattiesburg was sentenced Tuesday in federal court to 50 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release by Senior U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett.
Garry was sentenced for committing Hobbs Act Robbery according to U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Garry was also ordered to pay a $3,250 fine.
On March 31, 2019, Garry and an associate were accused of robbing a Family Dollar store located in Hattiesburg when the other suspect allegedly held the cashier at gunpoint and Garry was accused of emptying the cash register. The robbery was captured by store surveillance and Garry was quickly apprehended by Hattiesburg Police Department officers.
Garry was indicted for this offense on Sept. 25, 2019. He pleaded guilty before Judge Starrett on Jan. 9, 2020.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and Hattiesburg Police Department investigated the case. The case was being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew W. Eichner.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods and Project Guardian. EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry, and awareness.
EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.”
Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives when a prohibited individual tries to buy a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to communities.