KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A 26-year-old man was sentenced to more than 45 years in prison after he was convicted of robbing employees at five different Knoxville stores at gunpoint, as well as an armed carjacking in the downtown Knoxville area.
According to a release from the Department of Justice, DeShawn Whited was found guilty after prosecutors said he committed the robberies in January 2021. They said he was disguised in a hoodie and bandana and used a gun to rob employees at an EZ Stop, a Waffle House, a Pilot Food Mart, a Wendy's and a Pilot Travel Center.
He was also convicted of an armed carjacking in the same timeframe. Evidence at his trial included surveillance footage and cell phone tracking information, according to the release.
He was found guilty of four counts of Hobbs Act Robbery, a count of attempted Hobbs Act Robbery, a count of carjacking, four counts of brandishing a gun during a violent crime and a count of illegally having a gun.
The release said Whited was a previously convicted felon. He was sentenced to a total of 546 months in prison and after serving his time, he will be on five years of supervised release.
