Jefferson County man guilty of federal violation related to gas station robbery

BEAUMONT, Texas - A Nederland man has pleaded guilty to a federal violation in relation to an armed robbery of a gas station in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.

Tarrell Donald Nowlin, 53, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christine L. Stetson on July 2, 2024.

According to court documents, on January 16, 2024, law enforcement officers were dispatched to the Speedway Gas Station located at 2795 Eastex Freeway in Beaumont for a reported robbery. According to the store clerk, a dark-colored Dodge Caravan pulled into the parking lot of the business and parked near one of the gas pumps. The driver, described as a white male, entered the business wearing a black mask, blue latex gloves, and a gray hat. The driver pointed a silver revolver at the clerk and demanded cash. The clerk opened the cash register and the driver took approximately $550 cash and left the store. The investigation identified Nowlin as the subject.

Nowlin faces up to 20 years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice's violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case was investigated by the FBI, Beaumont Police Department, and Nederland Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Quinn.

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