Montgomery man sentenced to federal prison in convenience store robberies

A Montgomery man will serve more than nine years in federal prison after pleading guilty to robbing two convenience stores.

Federal prosecutors say 21-year-old Jalen Lamarcus Gunn will serve 111 months in prison after pleading guilty to robbery and gun charges, followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

According to his plea agreement and other court records, on April 27, 2024, Gunn went into a convenience store on Wares Ferry Road in Montgomery, jumping over the counter before pointing a gun at the clerk and demanding money from the cash register. Gunn then fled the store with approximately $3,000.

Two days later, on April 29, 2024, Gunn robbed a convenience store on Perry Hill Road in a similar fashion, again pointing a handgun at the clerk and demanding money. This time, Gunn made away with $2,500 and multiple packs of cigarettes.

During his November 8, 2024, plea hearing, Gunn pleaded guilty to two counts of interference with interstate commerce by robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a federal crime of violence.

This case was prosecuted as 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, VOID aims to reduce violent crime by enhancing coordination, communication, and collaboration with law enforcement partners.

— Information from the Office of the U.S. Attorney, Middle District of Alabama