FORT WORTH, Texas – In a shocking turn of events, Willie Thompson, Jr., 53, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 262 months in federal prison for his role in the Haltom’s Jewelers robbery in Grapevine.
The robbery occurred on October 3, 2014, when Thompson and his co-defendants, Garland Gilmore Lenoir III, Melvin Lewis Andrews, Tony Eugene Gabriel, and Kim Yvette Brown, traveled to Haltom’s Jewelers in a stolen vehicle.
According to plea documents, Thompson and his accomplices entered the store wearing masks and carrying handguns and hammers. Thompson held a store employee in a back room at gunpoint while his accomplices smashed the display cases and stole merchandise, including jewelry and watches.
The FBI and Grapevine Police Department investigated the case, which led to Thompson’s arrest in April 2017. He has been in custody since then.
Thompson pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to, and possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of, a crime of violence.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Cole. U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas announced the sentencing.
Thompson’s sentencing is a significant victory for the Haltom’s Jewelers community and a reminder that those who commit violent crimes will be held accountable.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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