Andre Jermaine Maxey, Interference with Commerce by Threats of Viol…

Andre Jermaine Maxey, 18, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced as an adult in federal court for a violent crime spree that terrorized central Indiana in late 2015. Maxey pleaded guilty to six counts of interference with commerce by threats of violence and one count of possession of a firearm during a violent crime. U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker handed down a 157-month prison sentence—over 13 years—and ordered Maxey to pay $23,000 in restitution. He was a juvenile at the time the crimes were committed.

The rampage began with the armed robbery of Binkley’s Kitchen and Bar in Broad Ripple on October 21, 2015, but it was the heist at KS&E Guns in Lawrence on November 4 that escalated the danger. Maxey and two accomplices stole 44 firearms and ammunition valued at over $16,000. During the robbery, a store employee was pistol-whipped and injured. The theft of dozens of weapons from a gun store sent shockwaves through law enforcement, raising fears of further violence.

But the gun store wasn’t the only target. Federal prosecutors say Maxey was behind a string of armed robberies in the weeks leading up to the firearms theft. Victims included a Little Caesar’s on September 22, the Dinner Bell on October 3 and again on October 26, and the Hilltop Tavern on October 13. Each time, Maxey and his crew used threats and violence to rob employees and customers in crowded dining rooms.

“Gun violence has no place in a civil society,” said U.S. Attorney Josh J. Minkler. “Maxey and his accomplices willingly used extreme violence while robbing gun stores and crowded restaurants. He now understands the full force of federal law enforcement.” Minkler emphasized that juveniles are not immune from federal prosecution, sending a clear warning to others who might believe age is a shield.

The investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), with critical support from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the Lawrence Police Department. IMPD Chief Bryan Roach called the impact of Maxey’s crimes “un-measureable,” praising detectives for their relentless work. “Federal, state and local law enforcement officers will continue to pursue these types of crimes and criminals,” Roach said, “to make Indianapolis and the metropolitan area a safer place.”

ATF Special Agent in Charge Trevor Velinor underscored the danger posed by Maxey’s actions. “No individual should be allowed to threaten our community with the use of violence, particularly harming others to steal firearms and in turn commit more violence,” Velinor stated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey D. Preston, who prosecuted the case, confirmed that two remaining defendants still face charges and could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted. The message from federal prosecutors is clear: violent crime, no matter the age of the offender, carries a steep price.