Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Shreveport Men Sentenced For Robbing Businesses in Louisiana and Texas at Gunpoint
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Myles W. Robinson, 21, and Halston M. Smith, 22, both of Shreveport, were sentenced to 314 years in prison and 138 years in prison, respectively, by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote for their participation in a string of armed robberies in Louisiana and Texas. The defendants were also ordered to pay $17,681.31 and $8,033.31 in restitution, respectively.
After a four-day trial that ended on January 16, 2014, Robinson was found guilty of all 27 counts of the indictment, and Smith was found guilty of 13 counts. According to testimony and evidence presented at the trial, the robberies took place between June 1, 2012, and November 14, 2012, at 15 businesses in Louisiana and Texas, with the men stealing in excess of $20,000. In some instances, money was taken from employees and patrons. In most of the robberies, a firearm or firearms were brandished. In at least one robbery, a firearm was discharged into the ceiling of a business in Caddo Parish. Businesses were robbed in Shreveport, Bossier City, Stonewall, Oil City, and Atlanta, Texas. In addition to Robinson and Smith, two other defendants, James D. Tyson, 22, and Tremario D. Washington, 24, took part in the robberies.
Washington pleaded guilty on June 6, 2013, and Tyson pleaded guilty on July 1, 2013, to one count of conspiracy and one count of using firearms during a crime of violence. On February 5, 2014, Tyson was sentenced to 111 months in prison and Washington was sentenced to 108 months in prison. They both received three years supervised release.
“Over many months, the men involved in these robberies terrorized employees and customers of the businesses targeted, and now they must face the consequences of their destructive and violent activity,” stated Finley. “This case demonstrates how effectively area law enforcement agencies can work together to bring criminals to justice. I want to thank all of the agents and prosecutors for their hard work on this case.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Shreveport Police Department, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office, Bossier City Police Department, and the Atlanta, Texas Police Department took part in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James G. Cowles Jr., and Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.
###