Five Jackson Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Hobbs Act Robberies

Jackson, Miss – Five Jackson men have been sentenced to federal prison by U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate for their roles in multiple Hobbs Act Robberies committed in the Jackson area, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the Jackson Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Joshua Cowards, Christopher Delaney, Cortez Kyles, Tyreik Lackey and Marquarius Rogers were indicted by a federal grand jury on November 27, 2018 for armed robberies of three Jackson businesses.  The businesses robbed by the men were Community Choice Financial, Speedee Cash, and Dollar General.  All five men were detained without bond pending trial.  Four pleaded guilty and one was found guilty by a jury.

On April 2, 2021, Cortez Kyles, 25, was sentenced by Judge Wingate to serve 14 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to his role in one of the armed robberies. 

On March 12, 2021, Tyreik Lackey, 24, was sentenced by Judge Wingate to serve 10 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to his role in one of the armed robberies.     

On March 12, 2021, Marquarius Rogers, 20, was sentenced by Judge Wingate to serve 17 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to his role in one of the armed robberies.

On March 11, 2021, Christopher Delaney, 24, was sentenced by Judge Wingate to serve 23 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to his role in the armed robberies.

On May 11, 2020, Joshua Cowards, 29, was sentence by Judge Wingate to serve 15 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, after a jury found him guilty of his role in one of the armed robberies.

In addition, Judge Wingate ordered the men to pay restitution totaling more than $85,000.00.

The armed robberies, coordinated by Delaney, occurred in August and September 2018.  Delaney provided transportation to each robbery and served as a look-out while monitoring police radio traffic during the robberies.  While Delaney served as the look-out, others went inside of the businesses.  Those who went inside of the businesses were armed and held employees at gun point.  During one of the robberies, an employee was injured when dragged across the floor.  In another robbery, one of the men pointed a handgun at a Jackson police officer. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jackson Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bert Carraway.

This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Project Guardian. EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry, and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.” PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.