A string of violent armed robberies terrorized Twin Cities businesses in the summer of 2020. Derrick Lee Spillman, 41, was the mastermind behind the heists, which left employees shaken and demanding justice.
On July 28, 2020, Spillman robbed three Twin Cities businesses, including a Holiday gas station and two liquor stores. During the robberies, Spillman pointed a handgun at employees and ordered them to the ground.
The crime spree continued on July 30, 2020, with Spillman targeting two additional Holiday gas stations, a Speedway gas station, and a Subway restaurant. In each incident, Spillman pointed a handgun at employees, racked the slide of the gun, and demanded cash from the registers.
Spillman’s actions were met with swift justice on August 10, 2021, when he pleaded guilty to seven counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, a proven strategy to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin A. Wesley led the prosecution of Spillman, who was sentenced to 262 months in prison for his crimes. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Fridley Police Department, the Brooklyn Center Police Department, the New Hope Police Department, and the St. Paul Police Department.
Defendant: Derrick Lee Spillman
Criminal Charges: Seven counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence
City and State: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Exact Date: July 28, 2020 (crime date), August 10, 2021 (sentencing)
Sentence or Outcome: 262 months in prison
Related Federal Cases
- Antonio Adam Smiley, Armed Bank Robbery, Wichita KS, 2023 · Kansas
- Jamah Harris, Armed Robbery, D.C. 2014 · Washington
- Antonio Lamont Jones Jr, Armed Robbery, VA 2024 · Washington
- Jamaal Marquie Mays, Brandishing Firearms During Robbery, Minnesota… · Mississippi
- Terry Curtis, Armed Robbery, Kansas 2016 · Washington
Key Facts
- State: Minnesota
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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