Larry Gibson, 65, a Plainfield man, has been sentenced to an eight-year stretch in federal prison, and is facing a subsequent three years of supervised release after openly admitting to the armed robberies of three Indianapolis businesses in late 2019, as per court documents detailed in a recent announcement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana.
Spanning a period that started on August 25 and culminated on September 5, 2019, Gibson carried out his crimes with what appeared to officials as a firearm, first at an OfficeMax on East Washington Street from where he pilfered $320, then he targeted a CVS on Southeastern Avenue lifting $115, and his last act was at a Wendy's on Post Road, snatching $276; Gibson was nabbed the day following his last robbery, on September 6, 2019, and during the apprehension at his residence, authorities uncovered a toy gun effectively masquerading as a legitimate weapon stated a press release from the Department of Justice.
"Every person deserves to feel safe where they live and work. This defendant terrorized and threatened innocent employees and businesses for weeks," Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, was quoted in the press release, "These frightening, senseless crimes have no place in our communities, and we are safer with this man behind federal prison bars." The case was brought to a close through efforts by the FBI and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, with U.S. District Judge James P. Hanlon imposing the sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jayson W. McGrath, who led the prosecution of this challenging case, received thanks from Myers for his role in bringing Gibson to justice, Indianapolis can breathe easier now, but the echo of the crimes reflect in the larger dialogue about public safety and law enforcement's ongoing battle to maintain peace and order, the case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program designed to bolster community safety, reduce violent crime, and curb gun violence through collaborative law enforcement efforts and comprehensive community engagement, as outlined in an initiative intensified on May 26, 2021.
