Serial Bank Robber Sentenced

NEWPORT NEWS, VA—Travis Reese, age 23, of  Newport News, Va., was sentenced today to forty years in prison for use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime causing the death of another and conspiracy to possess five grams or more of cocaine base, also known as crack cocaine.  Dana J. Boente, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Jerome B. Friedman.

According to court documents, the charges relate to the drug murder of Tommie Canty on Christmas Eve 2007.  Canty had distributed imitation crack cocaine to Reese on a previous occasion.  On the day of the murder, Reese called Canty and ordered more crack cocaine.  He then traveled from Richmond, Virginia to Newport News to kill Canty.  During the drug transaction, Reese pulled out a firearm and shot Canty one time in the back of the head, execution style.  Canty later died at an area hospital.

The investigation was conducted by the Newport News Police Department, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Howard J. Zlotnick and Lisa McKeel from the Newport News Division of the United States Attorneys Office prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. 

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.