Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

ST. PAUL, Minn. — An Indianola man was sentenced today in St. Paul to serve more than a dozen years in prison for the armed robbery of a Backyard Burgers restaurant in Cleveland, Mississippi, and other gun crimes he committed in Minnesota.

According to court documents, Ladarius Snipes, 27, previously pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota to one count of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence pertaining to the armed robbery of the Backyard Burgers restaurant in Cleveland, Mississippi, on Aug. 7, 2021. Snipes further pled guilty to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm and to possession of a stolen firearm, both arising in the State of Minnesota. Snipes was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Donovan W. Frank to serve a total of 155 months in prison, including 120 months in prison for the robbery of the Backyard Burgers and 35 months for the Minnesota firearms charges, to be served consecutively. Upon release from prison, Snipes will be on supervised release for a period of five years. Following sentencing, Snipes was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals.

“This case clearly demonstrates why we endeavor to keep guns out of the hands of violent criminals,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “We thank ATF and the Cleveland, Mississippi Police Department for their work on this case and will continue to work alongside our federal, state and local partners to combat violent crime and help keep our communities and citizens safe.”

“Sending a repeat offender like this to prison is another example of our commitment to work tirelessly to protect our communities and hold accountable those who threaten our safety,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “The sentence imposed today sends a message to the community that individuals who are prohibited from possessing firearms will be held accountable as we work to keep our neighborhoods safe as the top priority for ATF.”

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Cleveland Police Department investigated the case. AUSA Robert Mims assisted in prosecution of the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.

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