An Indianapolis man has been handed a lengthy fifty-year federal prison sentence for his involvement in a series of violent robberies, one of which ended in a fatality, connected to online marketplaces. Demetris Campbell, 29, was convicted on charges including commercial robbery conspiracy, aiding commercial robbery, and aiding the brandishing of firearms during a crime of violence. His sentencing follows a federal jury's verdict in June 2024, as per reports obtained from the U.S. Attorney's Office website. Campbell's accomplice, Angel Montano, has previously been sentenced to forty years in federal prison.
Court documents revealed that between July 19 and July 28, 2020, Campbell utilized the online platforms LetGo and OfferUp to set up the deceitful meetings, feigning the sale of iPhones. The victims, led to an apartment complex in Indianapolis, were ambushed and robbed at gunpoint. Specific incidents include an armed robbery of a fifteen-year-old boy and his father, the assault of a mother in the presence of her two children, and a woman threatened with a firearm. A final attempted robbery on July 28 left one man dead and his brother severely wounded after they tried to leave an uneasy transaction, indicating the escalation of Campbell's criminal activities.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers underscored the human cost of these crimes, stating, "The man who was taken from his family by these vicious criminals should still be here today. His brother should never have been shot, and the other victims—including multiple children—should never have suffered the traumas inflicted on them by these men." In the same vein of advocacy for public safety, officials recommend using local police department properties as safe transaction sites for online marketplace dealings, a practice that could potentially save lives, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Indianapolis Field Office, Herbert J. Stapleton, addressed the impact of such crimes, stating, "This string of crimes and the senseless death resulting from them are an unfortunate reminder of the real-world consequences that can result from crimes committed in the digital space.” Stapleton emphasized the commitment of law enforcement partners to ensuring the accountability of those who exploit online marketplaces for illicit purposes, according to the U.S Attorney's Office.
The investigation that led to Campbell’s sentencing was a collaborative effort by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service, and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. Chief U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt imposed the sentence. Acknowledgments were also issued to the Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany J. Preston and Carolyn A. Haney, alongside Victim Witness Coordinators and Paralegal Specialists who supported the trial.
