Payton Sentenced to 30 Years for Armed Robbery at Area Gas Station

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that Louis Eugene Payton, 30, of Jacksonville, was found guilty by a jury of Armed Robbery, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. He was sentenced to 30 years in Florida State Prison by the Honorable Linda McCallum. His sentence includes a 20-year mandatory minimum for discharging a firearm during the armed robbery.

On July 14, 2017, Payton entered a gas station on Hendricks Avenue and asked the store clerks for two cartons of cigarettes. After a brief discussion, Payton handed one of the clerks a $100 bill. He then pulled out a handgun and demanded the money back. One of the employees fled to a back room. After handing Payton the $100, the second employee also fled to a back room. During that escape attempt, Payton fired his weapon at the fleeing employee. The bullet missed the employee’s leg but grazed his pants. Payton fled and was later apprehended after an anonymous tip to First Coast Crime Stoppers.

The case was investigated by Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and was successfully prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Trey Atkinson and Alex Weaver.