Christopher Bey, 50, of Highland Park, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including interference with commerce by robbery, use of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The charges stem from an armed robbery, a shooting, and an attempted armed robbery that occurred in Pontiac.
Recommended Videos
Bey committed the robbery of a Boost Mobile store in Pontiac on Feb. 4, 2023.
Upon entering the store, police said he brandished a firearm and demanded money from the employee, who complied with his demands.
However, officials said Bey then pulled a potato from his pants, affixed it to the barrel of the revolver, and shot the employee twice in the stomach.
The victim spent approximately one month in the hospital due to the injuries sustained during the incident.
Bey later confessed to the ATF that he got the idea of using the potato as a silencer from watching a movie.
Police said on March 24, 2023, Bey attempted to rob a Dollar General store in Pontiac.
He handed a store employee a note while pointing a gun at them, ordering the employee to the storeroom and instructing them to apply handcuffs to themselves.
Officials said a customer inadvertently entered the storeroom and engaged in a struggle with Bey, who then fled the scene.
Bey was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Court records reveal that during the robbery investigations, law enforcement observed social media posts featuring Bey holding a firearm while a ski mask obscured his face.
Officials used other images from his social media accounts to confirm his identity.
On July 26, 2023, the Pontiac Gun Violence Task Force, assisted by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit, Customs and Border Protection Aviation Enforcement, and the Detroit Police Department, arrested Bey.
He has remained in custody since his arrest.
