Man Sentenced to Prison for Multiple Armed Robberies

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man was sentenced today to 21 years in prison for participating in armed robberies of a Lyft driver, a Papa John’s Pizza delivery person, and the clerk of a Sunoco gas station.

According to court documents, Darrell R. Pittman, 21, planned and executed a series of armed robberies in Hampton, Newport News and Richmond. During Pittman’s robbery spree, he pointed a firearm at each victim and made threats of violence. In the Hampton and Newport News robberies, Pittman stole vehicles at gunpoint and eventually led police on high speed pursuits through residential neighborhoods. Additionally, Pittman and four accomplices were involved in an accident following a shoplifting incident at a Kohl’s department store in Newport News. The crash resulted in the death of a 78-year-old woman. Pittman escaped from the accident scene and was the subject of a manhunt in Hampton Roads. With the assistance of the media and the public, Pittman was apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Service working in conjunction with ATF and the Newport News Police Department.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Nick Proffitt, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia; Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police; Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; Humberto I. Cardounel, Jr., Chief of Henrico County Police Division; and Terry L. Sult, Chief of Hampton Police Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Franker prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:19-cr-035.