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SHREVEPORT – Darren Watts, 26, of Shreveport, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 94 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for his role in an armed robbery that took place in Shreveport in November 2018, announced Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook.

On July 7, 2020, Watts pleaded guilty to robbery and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. According to evidence presented in court, Watts, along with Brandon Brown, Rekory Johnson and Courtney Daniels, formulated a plan to rob the Top Dollar Pawn Shop that was located on St. Vincent Avenue in Shreveport. Watts and Johnson entered the store wearing black hoodies, gloves, and clown masks covering their faces carrying handguns. They ordered the store clerks to the floor, opened the cash register and took cash out.

One of the clerks was then forced at gunpoint to open the counter where they also stole 18 pistols, a revolver, and a shotgun, as well as jewelry and over $2,000 in cash.  Watts and his co-defendants fled the scene and later split up the stolen items. Several days after the robbery, Watts went around to other pawn shops in the Shreveport area where he pawned the stolen items.

The ATF and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford prosecuted the case.