FORT WORTH — Melvin Lewis Andrews, 55, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was sentenced this week by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor to serve 188 months in federal prison, following his guilty plea in August 2017 to his role in the conspiracy to rob Haltom’s Jewelers in Grapevine, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.

            Andrews pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery. He has been in Federal custody since his arrest in March 2017.

            According to plea documents filed in the case, on October 3, 2014, Andrews, along with co-defendants Garland Gilmore Lenoir III, Willie Thompson Jr., Tony Eugene Gabriel and Kim Yvette Brown, traveled to Haltom’s Jewelers in a stolen vehicle. Andrews, Lenoir, Thompson and Gabriel, entered the store wearing masks and carrying handguns and hammers. Andrews, Lenoir, and Gabriel smashed the display cases with hammers and stole merchandise, to include jewelry and watches.  After the robbery, Andrews was paid approximately $10,000 for his participation.

The FBI and Grapevine Police Department investigated the case.  Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Cole was in charge of the prosecution.