Elkhart, Indiana Man Sentenced To 47 Years In Prison

For Hobbs Act Robbery and Being A Felon In Possession Of A Firearm

SOUTH BEND – Rex Hammond, age 55, of Elkhart, Indiana, was sentenced before United States District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. upon his conviction after a 4-day jury trial in April.  Mr. Hammond was convicted on 5 counts of Hobbs Act Robbery, 2 counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and 1 count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.

Mr. Hammond was sentenced to 564 months in prison and ordered to pay $2,630 in restitution.

U.S. Attorney Kirsch said, “Hammond’s lengthy sentence should serve as a reminder to all violent criminals that we will seek appropriate punishment for their crimes.  Hammond changed the lives of innocent victims forever with reckless acts of violence.  Thanks to the work of all our law enforcement partners, he will essentially serve the rest of his life behind bars.”

“This investigation and prosecution is another example of holding an armed career criminal accountable for the violence perpetrated by this defendant over many years,” stated Special Agent in Charge Tim Jones, of the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Chicago Field Division. “ATF is proud to work alongside our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners in these important cases, and I hope keeping this defendant off the street will also help the community reclaim its neighborhood and feel safer.”

"This sentence send a strong and clear message that violence such as this, that puts innocent people at risk and instills fear in our communities, won't be tolerated," said Grant Mendenhall, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Indianapolis Division. "Keeping our communities safe has always been a top priority for the FBI and our law enforcement partners and this sentence demonstrates our continued commitment to identify and arrest violent criminals and hold them accountable."

According to documents in this case, Mr. Hammond went on a robbery spree from October 6 through October 27, 2017.  During this spree he acquired, brandished, and lost firearms all while intimidating, threatening, and restraining victims of these various robberies. As part of his robbery spree, he robbed gas stations and a liquor store located in Logansport, Peru, Auburn, and Decatur, Indiana.  Before committing the armed robberies involved in this federal trial, Mr. Hammond already had five felony convictions for armed robbery, robbery, or attempted armed robbery convictions.  In fact, Hammond has spent the majority of the past 40 years robbing people or serving prison time for doing exactly that.

The case was investigated by ATF; FBI; Indiana State Police; Logansport Police Department; Peru Police Department; Auburn Police Department; Portage, Michigan Department of Public Safety; Kalamazoo, Michigan Department of Public Safety; Decatur Police Department; and Marshall County Sheriff’s Office.  Additional assistance was provided by the following agencies: Cass County Prosecutor’s Office; Miami County Prosecutor’s Office; DeKalb County Prosecutor’s Office; Adams County Prosecutor’s Office; and Marshall County Prosecutor’s Office.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Molly E. Donnelly and Luke N. Reilander.