Indianapolis Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison After Killing One Victim and Injuring Another During Armed Robbery Spree

INDIANAPOLIS- Angel Montano, 22, of Indianapolis, Indiana, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for armed robbery.

According to documents and evidence presented in court, between July 19 and July 28 of 2020, Angel Montano and co-conspirators committed four armed robberies in the Indianapolis area, one of which resulted in the death of a 26-year-old man. Montano facilitated and orchestrated the armed robberies through the online marketplaces, OfferUp and LetGo, by luring victims to his location to purchase a cell phone that he had listed for sale.

In the first three robberies, Montano and his co-conspirators arranged to sell an iPhone 11 Max Pro for $800 to a buyer who contacted him through the online marketplaces. When the victims arrived at the Pepper Mill Apartment complex, Montano and others brandished firearms and demanded money. In one incident, the victim drove to the address with her two children—ages 13 and 8—to purchase the phone. When she arrived at the meet location, Montano approached her vehicle, reached inside, placed the muzzle of his firearm against her thigh, and demanded “everything.” The woman gave Montano her iPhone, as well as the iPhone and Apple Air Pods that belonged to one of her children.

In the final robbery that resulted in Montano executing a 26-year-old man, the victim met Montano at a different Indianapolis residence, but was spooked by three masked men who approached his vehicle. The victim stated he would pay for the phone via PayPal and offered to drive to the nearest Wal-Mart to purchase a PayPal card to complete the transaction. The victim did not return. Later that evening, the victim decided to get cash and complete the purchase with Montano but asked his brother to accompany him due to fear of safety. When the two arrived at the transaction location, Montano prevented them from leaving by blocking their vehicle with his truck, tapped his firearm muzzle on the window of their vehicle, and fired multiple shots, striking both victims and killing the brother. The surviving brother required surgery and spent several days in the hospital healing from multiple gunshot wounds.

“The defendant’s crime spree demonstrated his utter disregard for human life. His choice to engage in senseless violence took an innocent man from his loving family forever,” said U.S. Attorney Myers. “A sentence of four decades in federal prison will protect the public from this murderous criminal and brings some measure of justice to the victims. Reducing gun violence is a top priority for our office, and we will continue to use our federal resources to hold violent offenders accountable.”

The FBI investigated this case with valuable assistance provided by IMPD. The sentence was imposed by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. Judge Pratt also ordered that Montano be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 5 years following his release from federal prison.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Lawrence D. Hilton, who prosecuted this 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 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.