Ripley robbery gets man 300 months in jail

CAPE GIRARDEAU — A Collinsville, Illinois, man was sentenced Monday to 25 years in federal prison on multiple felonies in connection with a November 2018 armed robbery in Ripley County.

Travis W. Davis was sentenced to a total of 300 months on the following felonies: possession of marijuana with intent to distribute (60 months); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and a crime of violence (120 months); interference with commerce by robbery (180 months); and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (180 months), according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Sorrell. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh Jr.

Davis’ 120-month sentence is to be served consecutively to his other three sentences, which will be served concurrently, Sorrell said.

The government, he said, dismissed an additional felony of possession of a short-barreled shotgun.

Upon his release from prison, Davis will be placed on a five-year period of supervised release, Sorrell said.

With his earlier plea, Davis admitted he agreed with two other people — James W. Judd and Ashley Purdom — to rob a marijuana dealer in Ripley County in November 2018.

After driving from Collinsville to Missouri, Davis, who was accompanied by Judd, took a short-barreled shotgun to accost the Ripley County dealer and take his marijuana and some firearms kept in the dealer’s home, the plea agreement signed by Davis says.

Davis fired his shotgun three times at the door of the dealer’s home to gain entry, the plea agreement further says.

In doing so, he reportedly injured Purdom with the shotgun pellets.

Davis and his companions, the plea agreement says, took marijuana and firearms from the dealer, got Purdom and then drove back to Illinois.

Davis, Judd and Purdom were captured the next day in Illinois.

Some of the firearms stolen from the marijuana dealer were found in Davis’ home, along with the short-barreled shotgun.

At the time the robbery occurred, Davis was a convicted felon and was prohibited from possessing firearms.

Davis had previous convictions for possession of pseudoephedrine with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine in March 2001 in St. Charles County; attempted manufacture of a controlled substance in August 2004 and January 2011 in Lincoln County and manufacture of a controlled substance in August 2010 in Pike County.

Davis was the final of the three defendants to be sentenced.

Purdom was sentenced to 30 months in February on the felony of aiding and abetting in the possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

Judd earlier was sentenced to 210 months on the felonies of conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and a crime of violence and interference with commerce by robbery.