A Roanoke man was arrested late last week on a federal indictment for his involvement in a violent Hobbs Act robbery and gun crimes.
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According to the United States Department of Justice, Damon Tyler Mills, a.k.a. Tyler Mills, 27, was charged with the following:
- One count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery
- One count of Hobbs Act robbery
- One count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
- One count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
- One count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute
The DOJ said the indictment, returned under seal last week, was unsealed after Mills’ arrest. He made his initial court appearance on Monday, Nov. 6.
According to the indictment, in Dec. 2018, Mills and another person robbed two people of a firearm, marijuana, and money, and brandished a firearm during the incident.
About two months later, in Feb. 2019, Mills was allegedly involved in another incident where he discharged a firearm to further a drug trafficking crime.
The DOJ said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Roanoke County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charlene R. Day and Jason M. Scheff are prosecuting the case.
According to the Department of Justice, this case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program with the goal of bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence.