Cleveland, Ohio – A Cleveland man has been sentenced to a decade in prison after robbing an informant during a federal firearms investigation.
Carl P. Lewis, 28, of Cuyahoga County, will spend 120 months behind bars following a guilty plea entered in May. U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker handed down the sentence, which includes five years of supervised release after his prison term.
Lewis pleaded guilty to three serious federal 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, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Court records note that Lewis has a prior robbery conviction from 2016, which elevated the severity of his sentencing.
Undercover Deal Turns Violent
According to court documents, the incident occurred in October 2024 during a covert operation led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The agency had enlisted a confidential informant to assist in a firearms investigation involving Lewis.
The informant and Lewis had been texting about a possible firearms sale. The two agreed to meet at a pre-arranged location to complete the transaction. When the informant arrived, Lewis demanded $2,500 in cash before showing the weapons. The informant, following procedure, requested to see the firearms first.
Lewis briefly went inside the home to retrieve the guns but quickly became aggressive and threatened the informant. During a physical struggle between the two men over the weapons, another male emerged from the home and pointed a pistol equipped with a laser sight at the informant. Lewis then forcibly stole the $2,500 in cash from the informant.
The entire altercation was captured on video, which became key evidence in the federal case.
Lewis was arrested soon after the incident. Law enforcement officers recovered a rifle and two pistols in his possession.
The case serves as a warning about the risks faced by federal informants and the strong federal penalties awaiting felons who use firearms in violent crimes.
