Houston Man Sentenced to Over 30 Years for Two Armed Robberies

Hezron Benjamin Stuart, a 51-year-old man, has been sentenced to a 368-month prison term following his convictions for two armed robberies in 2019, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Stuart was found guilty by a federal jury after a three-day trial, which concluded on March 15. The charges included two counts of interference with commerce by robbery and two counts of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal handed Stuart a 128-month term of imprisonment for the robberies, along with 120 months for each firearms charge, to be served consecutively. The total sentence will be followed by five years of supervised release.

During the trial, evidence was presented that on May 18, 2019, Stuart robbed the Corner Food Mart on Mangum Street and discharged his firearm. Additionally, on May 23, 2019, Stuart robbed a Citgo Gas Station at South Loop East, shooting a store clerk who refused to hand over cash.

The jury heard from witnesses, including the surviving shooting victim, who identified Stuart as the perpetrator. Fingerprints left at the Citgo gas station robbery were compared to Stuart’s, confirming his involvement.

Despite representing himself and denying the charges, Stuart was convicted by the jury. The court also considered evidence of Stuart’s lengthy and violent criminal history, including three additional armed robberies in 2019.

U.S. Attorney Hamdani emphasized the impact of Stuart’s actions, stating, “Bank robbery is not a victimless crime.” Hamdani added that the sentence aims to protect the citizens of Houston from Stuart’s criminal conduct in the future.

Stuart will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, in collaboration with the ATF Houston Crime Gun Strike Force, the Houston Police Department (HPD), and the Houston Forensic Science Center.

The ATF Houston Crime Gun Strike Force is a joint effort to combat the rising trend in crimes involving firearms.