Memphis Man Sentenced to Over 25 Years in Federal Prison for Hobbs Act Robbery

Memphis, TN – Malik Motley, 25, of Memphis, has been sentenced to 303 months in federal prison after being convicted of a Hobbs Act robbery committed in October 2021.  Kevin G. Ritz, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.  

According to the information presented in court, on October 3, 2021, Motley entered a Memphis-area Dollar General store with a black mask covering his face. Instead of paying for items that he placed on the counter, Motley pulled a silver handgun from his pants and demanded money from the register. The cashier was unable to open the cash register, and Motley shot her in the face at point blank range, grabbed items from the counter and fled the store. 

Motley was arrested two days later in an abandoned house. During a search of Motley’s residence, officers located the clothing he wore during the robbery and a silver Smith & Wesson .357 revolver. The gun was loaded with three live rounds of ammunition. 

In October 2023, Motley pled guilty to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery and one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.  On July 20, 2024, United States District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes sentenced Motley to 303 months in federal prison for the crimes and ordered him to serve five years of supervised release after his prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Memphis Police Department. 

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Raney Irwin, who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case.   

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 For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.