The Region News

DeVante Jiggetts, 30, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to two counts of robbery affecting commerce, one count of brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Jiggetts received a sentence of 168 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $300 in restitution to the victims.

According to case documents, in November and December 2022, Jiggetts, along with co-defendants Smith and Harris, robbed at gunpoint several cellular telephone stores and a convenience store across LaPorte, Elkhart, and St. Joseph counties. On November 29, 2022, Jiggetts drove Smith to commit a robbery at a cell phone store in South Bend. After the robbery concluded, officers tracked Jiggetts to an apartment complex where he fled first by vehicle and then on foot while carrying a 9mm handgun that was later recovered by law enforcement. Jiggetts had a prior felony robbery conviction from 2014 which prohibited him from possessing the firearm.

Co-defendant Treveon Smith was previously sentenced to 214 months of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $300 in restitution. Co-defendant Taibian Harris was previously sentenced to 84 months of imprisonment followed by two years of supervised release.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office, the South Bend Police Department, the Elkhart Police Department, the Michigan City Police Department, and the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katelan McKenzie Doyle.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence while making neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in communities; supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence; setting focused enforcement priorities; and measuring results.