Ethiopian Man Sentenced to Armed Robbery of a Gulfport Supermarket

Gulfport, MS – An Ethiopian national was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for armed robbery of a local supermarket in Gulfport.

According to court documents, Milki Ibrahim walked into the supermarket on February 23, 2024, pulled out a black handgun and said, “Give me the money or I will shoot y’all right now.” The employee behind the cash register complied and gave Ibrahim $1200. Ibrahim threatened to come back and kill the people in the store if they went to the police.

Employees of the store were able to positively identify Ibrahim as the armed robber. A subsequent review of Ibrahim’s cellphone showed he took pictures of himself wearing the same clothes that were worn during the robbery just one day prior. Those same clothes were found in the defendant’s residence along with a firearm that matched the description to the one used in the robbery.

In December 2024, Ibrahim pled guilty to the charge.

Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Gulfport Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Smith is prosecuting the case.

For non- HSTF cases pursuant to Op. TBA

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).