Ohio Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Robbing Federal Investigation Informant

CLEVELAND - A Cuyahoga County man has been sentenced to prison for robbing a confidential informant who was working with a federal agency in a firearms' investigation.

Carl P. Lewis, 28, of Cleveland, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker after pleading guilty in May to the following charges:

• Robbery of Mail, Money or other Property of the United States
• Using or Carrying, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence
• Felon in Possession of a Firearm; previous convictions for robbery in 2016.

Lewis was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment.

According to court documents, in October 2024, a confidential informant with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) was exchanging text messages with Lewis about the sale of several firearms. The two men agreed to meet at a pre-determined location to conduct the transaction. When the informant arrived, Lewis met with him and demanded $2,500 cash to purchase the firearms. The informant asked to see the firearms before handing over the money. Lewis then retrieved the firearms from inside the home but became agitated and threated the informant with violence. As the two men began to struggle for control of the firearms, a second male from inside the residence emerged and pointed a pistol with an attached laser beam at the informant. Lewis forcibly took the $2,500 cash from the victim against his will. The incident was recorded on video. Lewis was later arrested on a federal criminal complaint and found in possession of a rifle and two pistols.

This case was investigated by the ATF and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly L. Galvin.