Serial Armed Robber Given Lengthy Prison Term

By Justin Ove

An Atlanta man who pleaded guilty to charges stemming from two dozen armed robberies he committed between February and June 2013 -- including some in DeKalb County -- has been sentenced to spend more than three decades in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division announced Monday.

Artavius Brown, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence (Hobbs Act) and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence (bank robbery) on March 19, 2014. Brown was sentenced to seven years for the Hobbs Act robbery, and 25 years for the bank robbery. The sentences will be served back-to-back, meaning Brown will spend the next 32 years in federal prison. He will then serve five years of probation.

Brown must also pay $4,509.35 in restitution, ordered U.S. District Judge William S. Duffey Jr.

Evidence tied Brown to 24 armed robberies in Fulton, Gwinnett, DeKalb, and Henry counties between Feb. 18 and June 21, 2013. The majority of Brown’s targets were Family Dollar and Dollar General stores, but Brown’s last armed robbery was at a PNC Bank in Tucker.

On five separate occasions, Brown robbed multiple stores in a single day. His busiest day was on May 9, 2013, when he robbed two Family Dollars and a Dollar General. The Dollar General was located in Atlanta, while the Family Dollars were in Stone Mountain and Norcross.

“Brown terrorized our community and put the lives of many innocent people at risk,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates in a statement. “This crime spree was brought to an end through the coordinated efforts of our state and federal law enforcement partners. Violent criminals should understand that in our district, significant federal penalties await them.”