George Sisk, Armed Robbery, Indiana 2020

Grimy Times Exclusive: Armed Robbery Suspect Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison

INDIANAPOLIS— In a brazen act of violence, George Sisk, 47, of Indianapolis, Indiana, has been sentenced to 13 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to interference with commerce by robbery, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and illegal possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, on March 26, 2020, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) responded to the Community Spirits Liquor Store located on MLK Street, after a robbery had been reported. The robber, who was later identified as George Sisk, walked into the store, grabbed alcohol, and attempted to leave without paying. When one of the store employees noticed Sisk was stealing, he locked the store’s doors to prohibit Sisk from exiting.

Once Sisk realized that he was locked in the store, he went behind the counter and demanded the employee open the door. He then pulled a gun from his pants and fired one shot, striking the employee in the leg at close range. The employee opened the door and Sisk escaped, taking a bottle of Patron tequila with him. Sisk also fired a second shot before leaving.

Sisk had been previously convicted of multiple felonies, including two separate convictions for Dealing in Narcotic Drugs. These felony convictions prohibit him from ever legally possessing a firearm again.

“We repeat this notion time after time; everyone deserves to feel safe at their place of work,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Sisk felt it was necessary to shoot an innocent victim standing in the way of just one bottle of alcohol. This kind of reckless behavior with no regard for the safety of human life is a threat to our entire community and deserves the serious federal prison sentence imposed today.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigations and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter A. Blackett and Corbin Houston, who prosecuted this case.

Related Federal Cases