Two Houston men, Derian Joel Caesar and Centel Devon Willis Jr., have been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for their roles in two armed convenience store robberies. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Both defendants pleaded guilty in April to charges related to the use of firearms during the commission of robberies at two 7-Eleven stores located in Harris and Fort Bend Counties on March 15, 2023. According to court records, Caesar used a black firearm to take money from the cash drawer while Willis pointed a black semiautomatic handgun at an employee.
U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett sentenced Willis to 14 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Judge Bennett told Willis that "if Willis continued to make these decisions following his imprisonment, he will either return to prison or could even end up dead." Caesar received an identical sentence earlier.
Both men are being held pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation into the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin R. Martin prosecuted the matter.
