Dollar Store Heist: 15 Years Behind Bars

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Jackson, MS – Torrance Stewart, 31, will spend the next 15 years in a federal prison cell after a May 2, 2022, attempt to stick up a local dollar store. Stewart walked in packing heat, a pistol, and demanded cash, but the robbery went south quick when the store’s register refused to cooperate.

According to court documents, Stewart didn’t hesitate to threaten the store clerk, forcing them to wrestle with the jammed cash drawer. When that failed, he ditched the heist and ran, triggering a foot chase through the surrounding neighborhood. Jackson Police Department officers weren’t far behind, quickly taking him into custody.

Federal prosecutors swooped in, slapping Stewart with a Hobbs Act violation – a federal charge for robbery affecting interstate commerce. He later pleaded guilty. On Friday, March 13, a judge handed down the 15-year sentence.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) spearheaded the investigation, with assistance from JPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Brett Grantham led the prosecution. The feds are framing this case as part of “Operation Take Back America,” a broad push to target street-level violence with federal resources.