A Franklin man who the U.S. Department of Justice calls a “career criminal” will spend two decades behind bars for armed robbery.
Jeffrey Fleshood, 44 of Franklin, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to Attempted Interference with Commerce by Robbery and Felon in Possession of a Firearm as an Armed Career Criminal. U.S. District Court Judge Richard L. Young also ordered that Fleshood be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for five years following his release from federal prison, DOJ officials said in a press release on the sentence.
Court documents say Fleshood attempted to rob a car dealership on Washington Street in Indianapolis on October 12, 2021. Around 12:30 p.m. that afternoon, Fleshood called the business to inquire about a truck that had been advertised for sale. Fleshood told an employee he planned to buy the truck.
At 3:23 p.m. that day, Fleshood entered the dealership. He spoke to an employee and told him that he wanted to see the truck. Fleshood then brandished a .380 caliber semiautomatic pistol, pointed it at the employee, and ordered him to get on his knees and put his hands in the air, court documents say.
Fleshood held the muzzle of the pistol against the employee’s back and attempted to bind his hands with zip-ties. The employee fought back and wrestled the gun from Fleshood. During the struggle, Fleshood struck the employee multiple times with his fists and the pistol. The employee suffered multiple cuts, bruises and a broken tooth because of the fight, court documents say.
The employee called 911 after he got control of the gun. Fleshood fled the scene and was arrested by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers at the intersection of Southeastern and Arsenal avenues. During the investigation, officers located zip-ties on Fleshood’s person and scattered in the street, court documents say.
At the time of his arrest, Fleshood had been previously convicted of six felonies, including residential entry, three separate burglary charges, resisting law enforcement, and possession of methamphetamine. These felony convictions prohibit Fleshood from possessing a firearm under federal law, DOJ officials said.
“Every person deserves to feel safe where they live and work. This defendant terrorized and violently robbed an innocent man at his place of employment,’ U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Zachary Myers said in a statement. “His violent, senseless crimes have no place in our communities, and we are safer with him behind federal prison bars. I am grateful to the FBI and IMPD for ensuring that he is held accountable for his actions.”
The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance by IMPD. Assistant United States Attorney Kelsey Massa prosecuted the case.
“This sentence clearly demonstrates the impact and importance of the ongoing collaboration between the FBI and [IMPD],” FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert Stapleton said in a statement. “This defendant failed to learn from multiple previous felony convictions and instead chose to continue committing acts of violence. The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to ensuring residents feel safe in their homes, places of work and the community.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, or PSN, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence. The DOJ launched PSN based on the core principles of fostering trust and legitimacy in communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results, officials said.
