A Montgomery man, Jalen Lamarcus Gunn, has been sentenced to 111 months in federal prison following his guilty plea to robbery and firearm charges. Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced the sentence on April 10, 2025. Gunn will also serve three years of supervised release after his prison term, with no parole available under the federal system.
According to court records, Gunn robbed two convenience stores in Montgomery in late April 2024. The incidents included Gunn entering the stores on Wares Ferry Road and Perry Hill Road, where he brandished a firearm and demanded money from the clerks. He managed to escape with sums of $3,000 and $2,500, along with multiple packs of cigarettes from the Perry Hill Road location.
Gunn pleaded guilty to two counts of interference with interstate commerce by robbery and a count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a federal crime of violence during a plea hearing on November 8, 2024.
The prosecution of this case was part of the Middle District of Alabama’s Violent Offender Intervention and Deterrence (VOID) program. Launched by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in March 2024, the program aims to reduce violent crime by working closely with law enforcement partners. It focuses on prosecuting violent offenders and armed felons, dismantling drug trafficking organizations, and targeting gangs and repeat offenders.
Acting U.S. Attorney Davidson highlighted the purpose of VOID: “Prosecuting individuals who endanger innocent lives through armed robbery and other violent crimes is the very reason my office started the VOID program.” He added that Gunn's actions traumatized his victims and emphasized the message that those who terrorize communities will be held accountable.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Rachel A. Byrd remarked on the collaborative efforts to address such criminal behavior: “This type of behavior has to stop and the men and women of the FBI, along with our partners in law enforcement, are dedicated to tracking down the individuals who continuously victimize their own communities.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Montgomery Police Department conducted the investigation, with Assistant United States Attorney Christopher P. Moore overseeing the prosecution.