Oklahoma man sentenced for Columbia hotel robbery
A federal judge sentenced an Oklahoma man Wednesday to more than 26 years in prison for the robbery of a Columbia hotel.
U.S. District Court Judge Brian C. Wimes sentenced Darrell E. Black, 25, to 26 years and 6 months on one count of robbery, one count of using a firearm during a violent crime, one count of being a felon in possession of a gun and one count of having a stolen gun. Black pleaded guilty in October.
Black admitted to using a 9 mm handgun to rob the Staybridge Suites Hotel on Keene Street in May 2017, the U.S. attorney’s office said in a news release. He pointed the gun at the clerk, jumped over the counter and demanded money before getting away with about $200, according to the release.
Black also ordered the clerk to open the safe before disconnecting the phone and trying to tie her up, the release said. Black didn’t get access to the safe because the clerk did not have the keys. He searched the front desk area for more items and got away with the clerk’s purse and cellphone.
Jefferson City police spotted Black later in the day and arrested him after a foot chase. He was carrying a bag with a gun, ammunition, marijuana and ecstacy inside, the attorney’s office said. A woman tried to grab the bag while Black was being arrested, but police caught up to her, according to the release.
