Emporia man sentenced to five years and five months after Walmart robbery

EMPORIA, Va. (WRC) -- An Emporia man was sentenced to five years and five months in prison on Wednesday after he reportedly robbed a local Walmart in 2023, according to the Department of Justice.

On Wednesday, May 21, 60-year-old David Early Gay was sentenced to five years and five months in prison for Hobbs Act Robbery.

Court documents from Aug. 19, 2023, state that Gay entered a Walmart in Emporia, approached a clerk, and told her to be quiet and give him all the money. The clerk gave him money from the service desk, and Gay ran in a rusted white van.

Officials later responded to the address where the van was registered and conducted a search warrant on the trailer. They found Gay inside, and police said that he had additional money from the robbery in his pants pocket. Law enforcement also found money from the robbery in the metal shed on the property

Officials said Gay had been convicted of multiple crimes: breaking and entering, uttering forged paper or instrument, common law forgery, uttering forged check, statutory burglary, larceny, possession of stolen goods or property, forgery of instrument, abuse of a child – neglect, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and armed bank robbery.

The Department of Justice said that Gay was on supervised release for his armed bank robbery conviction at the time of the Walmart robbery.