Leader of Gwinnett County restaurant robbery crew sentenced to life in prison
Dametrius Marquel Sims (Gwinnett County Police Department)
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - A man who police say was the leader of a dangerous Gwinnett County restaurant armed robbery crew will spend the rest of his life in jail.
A Gwinnett County jury found 30-year-old Dametrius Marquel Sims guilty on four counts of armed robbery, two counts of attempted armed robbery, six counts of aggravated assault, and six counts of gun possession charges.
Sims, described by authorities as the most dangerous member of the group, is accused of leading a group that was involved in at least six robberies targeting restaurants and delivery drivers in the county between August and October 2017.
According to evidence submitted in court, the group first targeted the Steak N Shake at 2110 Pleasant Hill Road on Aug. 14, 2017. Officials say Trevonne Poole, Sims' co-defendant and an employee at the restaurant, told Sims when money would be moving out of the business. Sims then robbed the restaurant's manager, taking the cash deposit.
More than a month later, Sims robbed a delivery driver for China House Restaurant after calling in a food order.
Authorities say Sims and co-defendant Oshay Howard entered the Golden Corral on Stone Mountain Highway on Oct. 1 and forced the restaurant's manager back into the building at gunpoint. When the man tried to flee, officials say Sims shot at him. Three days later, Sims robbed a Papa Johns delivery driver at the Vine Apartments on Peachtree Corners Circle after calling in an order.
The violence escalated on Oct. 9, when officials say Sims shot the manager of the Marcos Pizza on Five Forks Trickum Road during a robbery. Police logged his cell phone to Wi-Fi at the Publix next door during the robbery. He was arrested on Oct. 13 after robbing an employee at a package store on Lawrenceville Highway.
"Someone could have been killed in his violent crime spree," District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said. "For weeks, Gwinnett County merchants were intimidated. No one should live in fear of going to work. By putting this man behind bars, we are letting would-be robbers know that we will not tolerate this behavior. We’re grateful for the jury’s decision in this case, and I’m proud of our team for the hard work and diligence they showed to close this case."
Following his conviction, a judge sentenced Sims to four consecutive life sentences plus 90 years.
His co-defendants. Poole and Howard. had already been convicted and sentenced to prison.