The first of two gunmen convicted of robbing nine Asian-run businesses in metro Atlanta has been sentenced to 27 years in federal prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Tuesday.
Tabyron Rashad Smith, 25, of Atlanta, was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $135,951.81, according to U.S. Attorney BJay Pak. Following his prison time, Smith will spend five years on supervised release.
“Smith and his fellow gunman, Dravion Sanchez Ware, terrorized, threatened and injured their innocent victims,” Pak said in an emailed statement. “This lengthy prison sentence hopefully provides some peace to the victims by ensuring Smith cannot terrorize anyone for decades to come.”
Between Oct. 7 and Nov. 10 of 2017, Smith and Ware, both of whom are members of the Bloods gang, committed multiple armed robberies of Asian-run businesses, according to investigators. Smith participated in at least nine incidents, including armed robberies of three businesses in Atlanta, two in Doraville, and one each in Norcross, Duluth, Stone Mountain and Roswell.
Ware shot victims in the Doraville robbery and pistol-whipped several other victims in the other robberies, according to prosecutors.
According to federal investigators, the two men went into Cedar Message on Bakers Ferry Road in Atlanta and pretended to be customers in October 2017. One of the men pulled a gun and demanded cash from an employee, and the second man stole purses containing cash, cellphones and other items, court documents state.
Three days later, men matching the description of the previous robbery pulled off a similar heist at QI Clay Sauna on Buford Highway in Atlanta. This time, the armed robbery turned physical when one robber struck an employee twice in the head with a handgun and the other robber pushed and kicked an employee, according to investigators.
A week later, a Buford Highway restaurant, Kochi Maru, was targeted. Two customers were shot in their legs, and purses were stolen from other customers, police said. Two massage businesses on Holcomb Bridge Road were also hit.
Ware and Smith wore the same clothing in many of the robberies, and security cameras captured images of the two, investigators previously said. A tipster helped investigators identify Smith. And Facebook photos of Ware, including a photo of a tattoo seen during the robberies, helped investigators nab him, court documents state.
The FBI arrested Smith on Nov. 21, 2017, following a multi-jurisdiction investigation. On July 23, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robberies and four counts of discharging or brandishing a firearm during several of the robberies.
“The GBI Crime Lab was instrumental in this case," Vic Reynolds, GBI director, said in an emailed statement. “Expert analysis and testimony helped lead to a successful prosecution. ... For over a month, these gang members targeted and terrorized the Asian business community. This sentence is evidence that this behavior will not be tolerated in the state of Georgia.”
Ware, also 25 and from Atlanta, was convicted by a jury Aug. 2, 2019, for conspiracy to commit the Hobbs Act robberies, five counts of Hobbs Act robbery, and five counts of discharging or brandishing a firearm during the robberies. His sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 7.
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