Limestone Man Sentenced For Hobbs Act

Greeneville, Tenn. – On September 9, 2021, Marc Kristopher Skeen, 37, of Limestone, Tennessee, was sentenced to 245 months imprisonment, followed by a five-year term of supervised release by the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville.

A Grand Jury issued a multi-count indictment for Skeen in October 2019, for the offenses of robbery of a convenience store in Johnson City, Tennessee and discharging a firearm during the robbery. Skeen entered a plea of guilty in June 2021.

According to the plea agreement filed with the court, on July 28, 2019, Skeen arrived at the Stop In Market on S. Roan Street, in Johnson City, Tennessee. As he arrived, he discharged a firearm through his vehicle’s windshield. He then exited his car, fired two more rounds through the glass door of the convenience store and into nearby equipment. Officers of the Johnson City Police Department responded to the location. Skeen took the convenience store clerk hostage, which resulted in a 6-hour standoff with police. During the standoff, Skeen forced the hostage to provide him with beer and cigarettes from the store. Skeen released his hostage without injury.

“This prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s comprehensive strategy to combat violence in our communities, and an example of a just outcome resulting from the collaboration between our office and the Johnson City Police Department.” said Acting United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III.

The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Johnson City Police Department and was led by Investigator Shane Malone.

Assistant United States Attorneys B. Todd Martin represented the United States.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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