ATLANTA — Dontavious Matthews and Quentin Truley have been convicted of committing an armed robbery at a cell phone store in Brookhaven, Georgia. Truley was also convicted of committing an armed robbery at a cell phone store in Lithonia, Georgia, 11 days later.
“These defendants showed no respect for the lives of the customers and employees they held at gunpoint while committing these armed robberies,” U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine said. “Thanks to the strong partnership between federal and local agencies through the Project Safe Neighborhood program, these defendants were convicted of these violent crimes and will now serve significant sentences in federal prison.”
“Violent conduct like the armed robberies in this case will not be tolerated in our community,” said Chris Hacker, FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge. “The FBI is proud to work with our local law enforcement partners to help convict these offenders at the federal level, where they face harsher sentences and no possibility of parole.”
“The success of the prosecution in this case is a direct reflection of the hard work and dedication of the peace officers and officials involved in the investigation,” said Brookhaven Police Chief Gary Yandura. “We are very pleased with the outcome of the legal proceedings and hope that the victims in these cases will find some peace knowing that the abusers are no longer on the streets.”
“The arrests and convictions in this case are a great example of how collaboration between federal and local partners helps solve cases and bring them to successful conclusions,” said Chief Mirtha V. Ramos of the DeKalb County Police Department. “By working together, we can continue to make our communities safer, one arrest at a time.”
According to U.S. Attorney Erskine, the charges and other information presented to the court: On December 17, 2017, Matthews and Truley walked into a cell phone store in Brookhaven. Minutes later, Truley pointed a gun at the store employees as Matthews ordered everyone to the ground. Matthews then forced the store manager to go to the back room and open the safe. Truley held employees and customers at gunpoint while Matthews emptied the cellphone safe, and the two defendants fled the scene. The theft was caught on surveillance cameras and Truley and Matthews left their fingerprints at the store.
On December 28, 2017, Truley and an unknown accomplice entered a cell phone store in Lithonia, brandished firearms and ordered employees and customers to the ground. Truley then forced an employee into the back of the store to get cell phones from the safe. Unbeknownst to Truley, the store manager placed a tracker phone with the other stolen phones, which then led police to Truley hiding in bushes at a nearby apartment complex.
Dontavious Matthews, 31, of Decatur, Georgia, was sentenced to nine years and four months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $19,321. Matthews was found guilty by a jury of one count of armed robbery under Hobbs Law on August 27, 2021.
Quentin Truley, 27, of Decatur, Georgia, was sentenced to 19 years and three months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $40,400.91. Truley pleaded guilty on August 3, 2021 to two counts of armed robbery under Hobbs Law and two counts of possession of a firearm in a violent crime.
This case was brought within the framework of the Safe Neighborhoods Project (PSN). In keeping with the Attorney General’s mission to reduce violent crime, the PSN Program for the Northern District of Georgia focuses on prosecuting those who are the greatest sources of violence in our communities, and supports and fosters partnerships between law enforcement and schools, the faith community and local communities. community leaders to prevent and deter future criminal behavior.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance from the City of Brookhaven Police Department and the DeKalb County Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leanne Marek and Michael Herskowitz prosecuted the case.
For more information, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Public Affairs at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
