Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

AUSTIN – An Austin man was sentenced today to over 18 years in prison for robbing Austin-area convenience stores while brandishing a firearm.

According to court documents, in May of 2021, David Olmos, 35, robbed two Austin convenience stores at gunpoint. At that time, Olmos had been released on a pending state-court case on a personal recognizance bond. On both occasions, Olmos approached the store clerk and asked for a cigarillo or cigarettes. When the clerks turned away, Olmos displayed a handgun and demanded money from the cash registers. On May 25, 2021, Olmos was arrested after having committed multiple other violent crimes, including other commercial robberies and a carjacking.

On January 6, 2022, Olmos pleaded guilty to one count of interfering with commerce by threats or violence and two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

“The sentence imposed today sends a strong and clear message,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “Federal prosecutions for violent crime lead to hard time. Along with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to use every tool in the federal toolbox to prosecute offenders and reduce violent crime in our communities.”

“Removing this type of danger from the streets has an immediate impact on the safety of our community,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Fred J. Milanowski. “This case is a perfect example of ATF’s commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who commit dangerous crimes in our communities are held accountable for their actions.”

The ATF and the Austin Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Travis County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel Cohen prosecuted the case.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.