Source: Office of United States Attorneys
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced Shadarien Lamarr Ward (22, Fort Myers) to 22 years in federal prison for robbing a pizza shop at gunpoint near downtown Fort Myers. Ward previously pleaded guilty to interfering with commerce by robbery, brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on the evening of September 1, 2024, Ward robbed a pizza shop at gunpoint, pistol-whipping an employee in the process. After grabbing the cash register drawer and approximately $700 in cash, Ward fled the area on foot. Though he was hooded and masked during the robbery, he was later identified by law enforcement after an extensive review of surveillance cameras in the area tracked him to a nearby motel.
Ward, a registered sex offender, was wearing a GPS monitor at the time of the robbery as part of his state sex offender probation. Though he had cut off his GPS monitor and absconded from supervision following the robbery, Ward was located and arrested at a North Fort Myers motel soon thereafter.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Myers Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon Eth.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our 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.