A federal jury has convicted Mikhal Hamilton, 25, of Indianapolis, for interference with commerce by robbery, brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to a Mar. 27 announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The case underscores ongoing efforts to address violent crime involving firearms in the community.
Court documents and evidence presented at trial showed that on June 25, 2023, Hamilton and co-defendant David Washington robbed the CVS Pharmacy on Rangeline Road in Carmel. Both men used firearms to threaten an employee and stole prescription medications such as Oxycontin, Oxycodone, and amphetamine stimulants. The pair fled in a blue Chevrolet Impala but were apprehended shortly after by Carmel Police Department officers following a high-risk traffic stop. Officers recovered stolen pills and pill bottles along with two firearms: a Glock handgun with an extended magazine and obliterated serial number and a Polymer80 homemade "ghost gun."
Hamilton’s criminal record includes felony convictions for carrying a handgun without a license and synthetic identity deception. These prior convictions made it illegal for him to possess any firearm.
Washington previously pleaded guilty to interference with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during the crime; he was sentenced in October 2024 to nine years in federal prison.
The investigation was conducted by the Carmel Police Department alongside the FBI Indianapolis Field Office. U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker presided over Hamilton’s trial; sentencing will occur at a later date.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelsey L. Massa and Nate Walter for prosecuting the case with support from Paralegal Specialist Sarah Helbig and Victim Witness Coordinator Johnna Preidt.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative using resources from the Department of Justice's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN)—aimed at protecting communities from violent crime.
