Armored Car Robber Sentenced

WILMINGTON—United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that Lenard Cornelius Smith, of Timberlake, North Carolina, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge James C. Fox for his role in the June 23, 2011 robbery of approximately $1,210,440 from a Garda armored vehicle when it was located adjacent to the Washington, North Carolina Bank of America automated teller machine.

On June 4, 2012 Smith pled guilty to Hobbs Act Robbery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951, and using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A). Senior Judge Fox sentenced Smith to 154 months in prison and five years of supervised release. To date, $250,000 in robbery proceeds have been recovered. Smith was also ordered to pay $963,766 in restitution, reflecting the difference between the amount stolen and the money recovered thus far.

One defendant, Emmanuel Wallace, III, was previously sentenced to 252 months in prison for his role in the robbery. Another co-defendant, Charles Moore, Jr., was previously sentenced to 171 months in prison. Each was also ordered to make restitution.

This case was part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative which encourages federal, state, and local agencies to cooperate in a unified “team effort” against gun crime, targeting repeat offenders who continually plague their communities.

Investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Washington Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney John Bennett is prosecuting the case.