Highland Park Man Involved in Violent Robberies Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison

DETROIT – Christopher Bey, a 50-year old from Highland Park, Michigan, was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to Interference with Commerce by Robbery, Use of a Firearm in Relation to a Crime of Violence, and being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm relating to an armed robbery, shooting, and attempted armed robbery, all of which occurred in the City of Pontiac, Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck announced today.

Beck was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge James Dier of the ATF’s Detroit Division and Sheriff Michael Bouchard of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.

“Removing violent offenders from our community is one the office’s top priorities,” stated Acting  U.S. Attorney Julie Beck.  “We will not stop being laser-focused on aggressively prosecuting dangerous individuals who persist in terrorizing our citizens. The strategies we use to identify the drivers of violence, who we then prosecute, works. We are truly making our community safer,” she stated.

“This 20-year sentence is RIGHTEOUS. Mr. Bey is a sociopathic serial shooter who has consistently shown an inability to follow societal rules.  It most certainly sends a clear message: if you use a firearm to shoot an innocent member of our community, there is absolutely no limit on the resources ATF will expend to hunt you down and hold you accountable for your cowardly conduct,” said ATF Detroit Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “Everyone deserves to feel safe when they go to work to provide for their family.  Armed criminals motivated by greed have no place in our Michigan community, and ATF will tirelessly work with our state and local partners to remove the most dangerous offenders off our streets and put them where they belong: behind bars.”

Bey robbed a Boost Mobile store in the city of Pontiac on February 4, 2023. After entering the store, Bey brandished a firearm and demanded money from the store employee. The employee fully complied with Bey’s demands. Nevertheless, Bey pulled a potato from his pants, affixed it to the barrel of the revolver, and shot the victim twice in the stomach. The victim was in the hospital for approximately one month. Bey later admitted to the ATF that he got the idea to use the potato as a silencer from watching a movie.

Bey attempted to rob a Dollar General Store in the City of Pontiac on March 24, 2023. After entering the store, Bey handed a store employee a note while pointing a gun at the employee. He ordered the employee to the storeroom and directed the employee to apply handcuffs to himself. A customer accidentally entered the storeroom and fought with Bey, who ran out of the store.

Bey was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court records, during the robbery investigations, law enforcement observed social media posts of Bey holding a firearm with his face obscured by a ski mask. Law enforcement was able to use other images from his social media accounts to determine Bey’s identity.

On July 26, 2023, the Pontiac Gun Violence Task Force (GVTF), assisted by, Oakland County Sheriff’s Office’s K9 Unit, Customs Border Protection - Aviation Enforcement, and the Detroit Police Department, arrested Christopher Lee Bey.  Bey has been in custody since his arrest.

The GVTF was established by the ATF and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office. The GVTF is tasked with investigating the unlawful possession of firearms and the use of firearms to commit violent crimes within Pontiac, Oakland County, and the Eastern District of Michigan.

This case was prosecuted by the Violent & Organized Crime Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office.