Chattanooga man sentenced to 175 months in federal prison for Kennedy Jewelry robbery

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – 27-year-old Gerald Wayne Jackson was sentenced to 175 months in federal prison Wednesday.

Jackson pleaded guilty to an attempted Hobbs Act robbery and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence in October 2015.

Jackson and an associate named Diontre Danforth attempted to commit an armed robbery of the Kennedy Jewelry Store.

Court officials say Jackson entered the store wearing a mask and armed with a .223 caliber Saiga assault rifle with a loaded magazine.

They say Jackson fired the rifle toward the back of the store where several employees and a customer were standing and demanded the employees hand “all of it” over to Danforth.

But one of the store managers heard gunfire, grabbed his 9mm handgun and returned fire.

Jackson fired several shots toward the manager before he and Danforth left the store.

Several days later, a traffic stop lead to the arrest of Danforth and Jackson.

Danforth previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to serve nine years in federal prison.