RENO, Nev. — A Reno resident was sentenced on Friday to 14 years and one month in federal prison for robbing a liquor store and a convenience store at gunpoint in July 2019.
In March 2021, a federal jury convicted Edward Monet Knight, 32, of Reno, of two counts of interference with commerce by robbery and two counts of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Knight already had prior felony convictions, three of which stemmed from incidents where he robbed commercial establishments at gunpoint. On June 25, 2021, Chief U.S. District Judge Miranda M. Du sentenced Knight to 30 days for the two most recent robberies and the statutory mandatory minimum of 14 years for the use of a firearm during those robberies.
According to court documents and evidence presented during trial, on July 7, 2019, Knight racked the slide of a firearm while threatening a clerk at a liquor store in Sparks, Nevada. The next day, on July 8, Knight entered a convenience store and told a clerk: “what do you mean knock it off, with a real gun that’s a good way to get yourself killed.” Knight then pointed a semi-automatic handgun at the clerk and ordered the clerk to give him all the money in the cash register. After Knight fled the store with the stolen money, Sparks Police Department officers responded to the scene. A search of an abandoned vehicle that was seen fleeing the convenience store revealed: a handgun matching the description of the gun used in the robbery; Knight’s identification card; and the stolen money.
Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Patrick Gorman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the ATF and the Sparks Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan Rachow and Penelope Brady prosecuted the case.
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