INDIANAPOLIS - Roy King, 42, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 97 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to three counts of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of attempted robbery.According to court documents, on three separate occasions in September of 2023, the defendant robbed multiple spa and massage parlors in Indianapolis. During each of these robberies, the defendant held employees at gunpoint and demanded cash.On October 8, 2023, the defendant attempted to rob a fourth spa. Unlike the prior robberies, he did not use a gun, but instead brandished a TV remote, pretending it was a gun. This robbery was unsuccessful and was arrested. The robberies committed and attempted by the defendant are summarized as follows:

Dates and locations of robberies; table from press release.

The defendant has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2003, including convictions related to assault with a deadly weapon, gang activity, and distribution of controlled substances.“Four different times, three of them at gunpoint, the defendant chose to terrorize innocent people who had the misfortune to work at a business this violent criminal decided to target. Each time, he made them fear for their lives just so he could steal a few hundred dollars,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Armed, repeat criminals are a menace to our communities and must be held accountable. The federal prison sentence imposed here demonstrates that this violent lawlessness will carry serious consequences.”The FBI investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Matthew P. Brookman.U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy C. Fugate, who prosecuted this case.This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.