COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Columbus man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the armed robbery of a gas station in 2019, according to U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker’s office.
Michael Smith, 29, was charged and arrested by police in January 2019. He later pleaded guilty to the armed robbery in March 2023.
A release says that he pointed a pistol at two store clerks at a Circle K on Hall Road, demanding money. He reportedly threatened to kill both clerks if they moved.
After that, Smith fled the store on foot with $280 in cash.
According to the release, this isn’t Smith’s first robbery. He is believed to have been involved in another armed robbery at a Dollar General store in March 2019.
The gun used in both robberies was later recovered in a car that was involved in a shooting on the highway in Circleville that same month. Smith and several others, including a 1-year-old child, had been in the vehicle on the highway.
In prior crimes, Smith shot two people in the head, Parker’s office said.
“While all threats of violence should be taken seriously, there is an elevated sense of danger inherent in someone who brandishes a gun and threatens to kill people, and whose past actions demonstrate no reluctance in pulling the trigger,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “A significant term of imprisonment is warranted in this case.”
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