A Cleveland man was sentenced to ten years in prison on Monday for robbing an informant who was working with federal agents on a gun trafficking investigation.
Carl Lewis, 28, and another man pointed firearms at the informant and stole $2,500, which was supposed to be used to acquire three guns at the request of the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
U.S. District Judge Pamela Barker imposed the term, citing the robbery’s violent character and Lewis’ significant criminal record, which began during his traumatic childhood.
“I agree with [prosecutors] that the criminal justice system failed to deter him from committing more crimes or get him the help he needed for his mental health and substance abuse issues,” Barker told the jury.
Barker also ordered Lewis to pay $2,400 in restitution to the ATF and serve three years of post-prison supervision. Lewis had previously pled guilty to armed robbery, possessing a weapon with a felony record, and using a firearm during a violent offense.
The robbery occurred on October 10, 2024. Lewis first accepted money from the informant in exchange for the guns but subsequently reclaimed them, sparking a fight in the middle of the street.
After wresting the gun, Lewis stated that he intended to “smoke” the informant and pressed the trigger, but the gun did not discharge. A masked man, whom investigators did not identify, walked outside with a rifle. The informant jumped into a car and drove away while the masked man and Lewis pointed pistols at him.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Galvin, Lewis had a harsh background, but his lengthy record of eight juvenile and 13 adult offenses, including two for robbery, demonstrated that he became progressively dangerous.
“This is a person who has long been spiraling into violence,” according to Galvin.
Edward Bryan, Lewis’ counsel, pushed for an eight-year sentence. He recalled an upbringing in which Lewis was homeless for extended periods of time beginning at the age of eight. He was abused at home and by family.
Bryan said Lewis committed crimes as a juvenile, such as stealing food and clothing, to survive. Similarly, as a child, he joined the Heartless Felons, a well-known Cleveland street gang, to get the support he lacked at home, according to Bryan.
“Not only did he not have a normal childhood, but he didn’t have a childhood at all,” Bryan told me.
Lewis has various mental problems, including schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder, according to Bryan’s court documents. Bryan explained that as an adult, he struggled to retain a job and stole to support his two young children.
Lewis told the judge that he knew what he had done was improper.
“I know my childhood was bad, but I don’t want this to keep happening,” Lewis told me. “I want to do my time and come home a better person.”
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