Three Georgians Sentenced to 60 Years Each in Federal Prison

According to reports, three Georgians have been convicted of robbing a metro Atlanta bank and a loan business.

Lenard Gibbs, Kyre Campbell, and Benita Alveranga were each sentenced to around sixty years in federal prison. The three pointed guns at employees in a PNC Bank in Lilburn.

Even though the three individuals were arrested on federal charges and convicted to federal prison - there is a Georgia criminal law that matches the federal charges. That law is the law behind armed robbery.

Armed Robbery in Georgia

Armed robbery in Georgia is defined by Georgia Law in O.C.G.A. §16-8-41 as:

A person commits the offense of armed robbery when, with intent to commit theft, he or she takes property of another from the person or the immediate presence of another by use of an offensive weapon, or any replica, article, or device have the appearance of such weapon.

Courts have gone back and forth through the years as to what constitutes an offensive weapon as well as if replica or toys can be considered offensive weapons. After years of debating, it has been established that an offensive weapon includes not only weapons which are offensive per se, but also embraces other instrumentalities not normally considered to be offensive in and of themselves but which may be found by a jury likely to produce death or great bodily injury depending on the manner and means of their use.

Armed robbery is a felony. An armed robbery conviction can include a potential sentence of ten to twenty years in prison with the very minimum being ten years in prison with no early release - even a life sentence.

Practice Note

Armed robbery is also classified as a serious violent felony. Along with armed robbery, other serious violent felonies include:

• Murder in Georgia
• Felony murder in Georgia
• Kidnapping in Georgia
• Aggravated Child Molestation in Georgia
• Rape in Georgia
• Aggravated Sodomy in Georgia
• Aggravated sexual battery in Georgia

Being titled as a Serious Violent Offender in Georgia is not something to risk if you or a loved one has been arrested for a crime that falls into this category. Contact a Georgia Criminal Defense Attorney now.