November 19, 2015

Defendant Sentenced to 166 Months for Armed Robbery

United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Montez Lesha Bishop, 39, of Bay Minette, Alabama was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge William H. Steele to 166 months’ imprisonment for Hobbs Act robbery and discharging a gun during the robbery. The judge ordered that Bishop undergo five years of supervised release upon completing his term of imprisonment, that he receive drug and mental health treatment while incarcerated, and that he pay a $200 mandatory special assessment.

In a 6-day span in December 2014, Bishop committed 5 armed robberies in Bay Minette at 5 different locations: a home, a Yogi Raceway Convenience Store, a Kangaroo Express Convenience Store, a Summit Convenience Store, and a New Horizons Credit Union branch. On December 12, 2014, the Bay Minette Police Department arrested Bishop soon after he robbed the New Horizons Credit Union. In January 2015, Bishop was indicted by a federal grand jury for robbing the 4 businesses. On April 18, 2015, Bishop pled guilty to robbing the Summit Convenience Store and shooting a handgun at a store employee during the robbery. In a plea agreement detailing the offense conduct, Bishop admitted to committing all 5 armed robberies.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bay Minette Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sinan Kalayoglu.