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Press Release

Man Convicted Of Five Violent Robberies During Summer Of 2014

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Nevada

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Las Vegas man who wore a mask and gloves and used a black handgun with a laser sight to rob a convenience store, two liquor stores, a payday loan company, and an electronics retailer in the Las Vegas area during the summer of 2014, was convicted by a jury today of all counts charged and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 107 years in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden for the District of Nevada. 

Following a four-day jury trial, Dominique Wells, 29, was convicted of five counts of interference with commerce by robbery, two counts of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, and five counts of using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.  Wells is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan on July 21, 2016.  Two co-defendants, Christopher Dobbins, 28, and Andre Hall, 27, pleaded guilty in 2015 and are awaiting sentencing.

“We continue to work with the local authorities to use federal laws to prosecute persons who are committing violent robberies with guns in southern Nevada,” said U.S. Attorney Bogden. “We meet with local law enforcement regularly through our Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force to review all the recent arrests of persons who are using firearms to commit violent crimes and to determine if prosecution in the federal system, where there is no parole, is warranted.”

According to court records and trial testimony, on June 15, 2014, Wells robbed a convenience store in Henderson using a handgun and wearing a black mask and gloves, black t-shirt and camouflage shorts.  Four days later, on June 19, 2014, Wells robbed a liquor store in Las Vegas using a handgun with a laser sight, and wearing camouflage shorts, a black t-shirt, and a black face mask/ski mask.  Two days after that, on June 21, 2014, Wells robbed a liquor store on the Boulder Highway in Las Vegas using a black handgun with a laser sight and wearing camouflage shorts, a black t-shirt and a black face mask/ski mask.  On June 26, 2014, Wells robbed a payday loan store in Henderson using a black handgun with a laser sight. Wells and a co-defendant used duct tape to tie up three individuals inside the payday loan store.  On July 3, 2014, Wells robbed an electronics retailer in Henderson using a black handgun.  Wells and a co-defendant used zip ties to tie up the employees in that robbery. Wells obtained on average only $100 to $250 in each robbery.

Over the last five years, 94 persons have been charged federally with using firearms to commit commercial robberies in southern Nevada.  Following are links to the news releases for some of those cases.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-nv/pr/las-vegas-cinched-hoodie-robber-sentenced-life-prison

https://www.justice.gov/usao-nv/pr/femal-getaway-driver-convicted-robberies-13-banks-and-stores-las-vegas-area-during-2012

https://www.justice.gov/usao-nv/pr/man-sentenced-over-14-years-prison-six-armed-robberies

https://www.justice.gov/usao-nv/pr/men-sentenced-prison-kidnapping-conspiracy-and-thefts-delivery-drivers-and-warehouses

https://www.justice.gov/usao-nv/pr/last-30-minutes-or-less-robbers-gets-16-years-prison

https://www.justice.gov/usao-nv/pr/man-sentenced-over-11-years-federal-prison-robbing-local-jewelry-store-stolen-handgun          

https://www.justice.gov/usao-nv/pr/man-who-robbed-las-vegas-mini-mart-convicted-jury

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and the Henderson Police Department, as part of the Safe Streets Task Force and Project Safe Neighborhoods program. 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phillip N. Smith, Jr. and Lisa Cartier-Giroux.

Updated April 21, 2016

Topic
Violent Crime
Component