DALLAS
Two felons who were convicted by a federal jury at trial in July 2015 for a string of armed robberies of fast-food restaurants were each sentenced this week to 115 years, officials
U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey also ordered Jesse Lee Bell, 33, of Duncanville, Texas, and Deundrae Lyndell Miller, 24, of Mesquite, Texas, to pay more than $8000 in restitution.
Both had previous felony convictions.
The Dallas Morning News reported that Bell often acted as a lookout while Miller threatened restaurant employees with a “Western” looking pistol. The men targeted the safe first and then the cash register. They then locked the employees in a back room.
The men wore some of the same clothes during the robberies, including a “SEAL TEAM VI SPECIAL WAREFARE” hat and a Charlotte Hornets hat, prosecutors told the newspaper.
Each was convicted on four counts of interference with commerce by robbery, one count of attempted interference with commerce by robbery; five counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The defendants committed the following armed robberies in North Texas:
- June 2, 2014 Whataburger in Duncanville
- June 4, 2014 Whataburger in DeSoto
- June 7, 2014 Whataburger in Mesquite
- June 19, 2014 Jack-In-The-Box in Dallas
- June 24, 2014 Whataburger in Mesquite
In addition, the defendants, both convicted felons, each possessed a firearm on June 24, 2014.