News Releases
FEDERAL JURY CONVICTS SHOOTER IN ARMORED TRUCK MURDER
October 25, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
David E. Nahmias, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, and Gregory Jones, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, announce that a federal jury returned a guilty verdict today against ERNEST ROMOND GIBBS, JR., 26, of Surrency, Georgia, on charges of conspiring to rob an armored truck, attempting to rob the armored truck at the Cascade Crossing shopping center in Southwest Atlanta on October 3, 2003, and aiding and abetting his co-defendants in the use of firearms in a robbery attempt that resulted in the death of one guard. Another defendant, RICARDO CORTEZ WILLIAMS, 24, of Atlanta, was acquitted of all charges. According to Nahmias and the documents and information presented in court:
In September 2003, defendant WILLIAMS was working in Atlanta as a guard for Bantek West, Inc., an armored truck company, when he suggested to co-defendants Ricky Carter and Travis Carter that they rob an armored truck. They originally planned to rob a truck that WILLIAMS was driving, but they changed the plan to rob the truck that serviced the Washington Mutual Bank at 3655 Cascade Road in southwest Atlanta. Ricky Carter testified that he recruited co-defendant Michael Leggett and defendant GIBBS for the robbery. Travis Carter and Leggett testified that on the evening of October 3, 2003, they attempted to rob the truck with GIBBS, while Ricky Carter waited in the getaway truck. The robbers ambushed the guards and grabbed their money bag, which was full of smaller, empty money bags. GIBBS admitted in a signed confession at the time of his arrest that he and Leggett fired their revolvers at the guards, and he believed that he hit one of them. Bantek guard Mustafa Koura, 28, was shot and killed in the robbery attempt, and guard Izzay "J.R." Denney was shot several times, but survived.
GIBBS was arrested separately on October 17, 2003, and indicted on October 29, 2003, along with WILLIAMS, Ricky A. Carter, 25, and Travis M. Carter, 23, both of Baxley, Georgia, and Leggett, 29, of Jesup, Georgia.
The Carters previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to rob the armored truck and aiding and abetting their co-defendants in the use of firearms in the robbery attempt. Under the terms of their plea agreements, they will be sentenced to federal prison for terms of 25 years. Leggett previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to rob the armored truck and aiding and abetting his co-defendants in the use of firearms in the robbery attempt. Under the terms of his plea agreement, he will be sentenced to federal prison for between 30 and 40 years, and the United States will seek a sentence of 40 years. The Carters and Leggett are likely to be sentenced in early 2006.
"This case is tragic because of the murder of Mustafa Koura, a young husband who also supported his mother in Egypt, and the shooting of Izzay Denney, who nearly lost his life while his wife was pregnant with their first child," Nahmias said. "The robbers and especially the two shooters have now been brought to justice and will serve lengthy prison terms."
Sentencing for GIBBS has been set before United States District Judge Julie E. Carnes on January 5, 2006, at 3:00 p.m. GIBBS faces the maximum penalty of life imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by Special Agents of the FBI and the Fulton County Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys William G. Traynor and Aaron M. Danzig prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact David E. Nahmias (pronounced NAH-me-us), United States Attorney or Yonette Sam-Buchanan, Chief, Terrorism, Violent Crimes and Firearms Unit, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney's Office, at (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan.