Montgomery Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Committing Armed Robbery and Discharging a Firearm During the Crime

            Montgomery, Alabama – Today, Acting United States Attorney Kevin P. Davidson announced that a federal judge sentenced 33-year-old Roddrecius Lavelle Goldsmith, a resident of Montgomery, Alabama, to 157 months in prison for his role in a 2023-armed robbery. During the September 4, 2024, sentencing hearing, the judge also ordered that Goldsmith remain on supervised release for five years following his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. 

            According to court records and statements made in open court, on January 20, 2023, Goldsmith entered a gas station on U.S. Highway 231 in Wetumpka, Alabama and walked to the counter. Goldsmith asked the clerk about the location of the store’s bathroom, then pulled out a handgun. Goldsmith forced the clerk to go with him into the restroom where he struck her in the head with the firearm multiple times. Goldsmith then forced the clerk back to the counter and demanded money from the cash register. After retrieving approximately $79 from the register’s drawer, Goldsmith exited the store. The clerk hit a panic button that magnetically locked the doors. When Goldsmith got to his vehicle, he realized he had left his car keys inside the store. Goldsmith returned to the locked gas station doors and fired a round through the glass. Goldsmith reentered the store through the shattered glass door and retrieved his keys. He then fled the scene.

            On May 23, 2024, Goldsmith pleaded guilty to interference with interstate commerce by robbery and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.

            The FBI and the Wetumpka Police Department investigated this case, with assistance from the Montgomery Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, and the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences. Assistant United States Attorney Brandon W. Bates prosecuted the case.