DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
District of Vermont

For Immediate Release

Friday, April 10, 2015
Timothy C. Doherty, Jr.
, United States Attorney
Contact: AUSAO's Office

Barre Man Sentenced to 76 Months in Federal Prison for Armed Convenience Store Robbery

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that, on April 10, 2015, Lee Jay Manning, 28, of Barre, Vermont, was sentenced to 76 months in federal prison after his guilty plea to charges that he used a handgun to rob a Cumberland Farms convenience store in Barre on February 12, 2014. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Christina Reiss also ordered that Manning serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.

According to court records, Manning robbed the Cumberland Farms convenience store in Barre on the evening of February 12, 2014 with a loaded semi-automatic handgun. He was apprehended by law enforcement, in possession of the handgun, shortly after the robbery. No one was injured during the incident.

For his crimes, Manning faced a mandatory minimum term of 60 months in prison and a maximum term of life. The United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are advisory, recommended that Manning receive a prison term between 90 and 97 months. In determining that a 76-month sentence was appropriate in this case, Judge Reiss considered the seriousness of the offense, Manning’s history of substance abuse, and his recent efforts at rehabilitation, among other factors.

Acting United States Attorney Cowles commended the efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, the Barre City Police Department, the Barre Town Police Department, the Berlin Police Department, and the Vermont State Police for their investigation into this matter.

The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Doherty, Jr. Manning is represented by defense attorney Natasha Sen.

Boston Field Division