ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – A Rock Island, Illinois, man, Terrance Jermaine “T.J.” Clay, 44, was sentenced on November 4, 2021, to 166 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of robbery.
At Clay’s sentencing hearing, Chief United States District Court Judge Sara Darrow found that Clay was the leader of a conspiracy to rob drug dealers in the Quad Cities. She noted that Clay and his coconspirators placed GPS monitoring devices on their victims’ vehicles to monitor their habits and routes to determine when and where the victims were likely to have valuable contraband.
Chief Judge Darrow also found that on November 11, 2017, Clay and his coconspirators robbed and carjacked two people in Moline, Illinois, at gunpoint. During the robbery, one of the guns discharged and one of the victims was pistol whipped. Clay and his coconspirator later lit the victim’s car on fire in Moline, Illinois.
Clay pleaded guilty in July 2021. His co-defendant Kelsey Dwayne Bragg was sentenced to 190 months’ imprisonment on February 16, 2021, following a plea of guilty.
The statutory penalties for conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery include up to twenty years’ imprisonment. Possession of a firearm in furtherance of robbery carries a mandatory minimum term of ten years and up to life imprisonment.
“This case is a good example of how drug dealers plague our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Douglas J. Quivey. “The threat and danger is real and sophisticated. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to work with law enforcement to prosecute and abate the continuing problem.”
The Rock Island Police Department; the Scott County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Office; and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyssa Raya represented the government in the prosecution.
Ready Illinois offers homeland security information and planning tips for emergencies and disasters.
