On multiple occasions, Cage threatened that he would shoot the employees if they did not comply with his demands for money.
INDIANAPOLIS – Tyrell Cage, 29, and Jayla Deane, 36, of Indianapolis have been sentenced to federal prison for a series of armed robberies of Indianapolis businesses in 2021.
Cage was sentenced to forty years in federal prison after pleading guilty to eight counts of interference with commerce by robbery, four counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Cage was also ordered to pay $2,668 in restitution and be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following his release from federal prison.
Deane was sentenced to ten years in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Deane was also ordered to pay $1,030 in restitution and be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following her release from federal prison.
In total, Cage robbed eight businesses and Deane robbed two:
In each of the robberies, Cage pointed a black handgun at the employees and ordered they give him money from the business. On multiple occasions, Cage threatened that he would shoot the employees if they did not comply with his demands for money.
During the April 25, 2021, attempted robbery of the McDonalds, the cashier told Cage that only managers can open the register and turned his back to get help from the manager. In response, Cage fired three shots at the employee.
During the May 20, 2021, robbery of Piezano’s, Cage forced the employee on the ground after she gave him the money and then duct taped the employee’s hands together.
On May 23, 2021, Cage attempted to rob a Valero gas station of fried chicken and a pack of cigarettes using the same gun. When the employee saw the gun, he reached for the fried chicken. Cage shot the employee in the stomach, critically wounding him. Cage fled from the gas station. The same day, he committed another robbery.
During the two robberies in which Cage and Deane worked together, Deane served as a decoy by distracting employees. While employees were distracted, Cage brandished a black handgun, and demanded cash from the registers.
On June 1, 2021, IMPD officers conducted a court-authorized search and arrest of Cage and Deane at the InTown Suites Hotel on West 85th Street. During a search of the room, investigators located clothing, shoes, hats, and jewelry worn by Deane and Cage during each of the robberies, as well as a phone taken during the robbery of the Metro by T-Mobile and coloring books and pencils taken during the Five Below robbery. Investigators also located the black Taurus G2 9mm semiautomatic handgun used during the robberies.
Cage has been previously convicted of multiple felonies, including robbery and battery resulting in serious bodily injury, which prohibit him from ever legally owning a firearm.
“These defendants engaged in an armed spree of violence and intimidation, critically wounding an innocent person and terrorizing many more,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “The lengthy federal prison sentences imposed here demonstrate that these grave offenses carry grave consequences. I commend IMPD, the FBI, and our federal prosecutors for their work to hold these violent criminals accountable and make our communities safer.”
The FBI and IMPD investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge James P. Hanlon.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Meredith Wood and former Assistant United States Attorney Lawrence D. Hilton, who prosecuted this case.
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.
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