Emporia man sentenced to over five years in prison for armed robbery

RICHMOND, Va. – An Emporia man was sentenced yesterday to five years and five months in prison for a Hobbs Act Robbery.

According to court documents, on Aug. 19, 2023, David Earl Gay, 60, entered a Walmart in Emporia, approached a clerk, and told her that he had a gun in his pocket, that if she did anything he would shoot her, and to hand him all the money. The clerk complied, handing him money from the service desk. Gay fled the Walmart in a rusted white van.

Law enforcement responded to the address where the van was registered and located the van. Investigators executed a search warrant on the trailer located at that address and found Gay inside. Gay had some of the money from the robbery in his pants pocket. Investigators then found additional money from the robbery in a metal shed on the property.

Gay was previously convicted of, among other crimes, breaking and entering, uttering forged paper or instrument, common law forgery, uttering forged check, statutory burglary, larceny, possession of stolen goods or property, forgery of instrument, abuse of a child – neglect, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and armed bank robbery. At the time he robbed the Emporia Walmart, Gay was on supervised release for his armed bank robbery conviction.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick J. McGorman, Stephen E. Anthony, and Vetan Kapoor prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-23.