Grayson County Man Guilty Of Violent Crime Spree

SHERMAN, Texas – U.S. Attorney Damien M. Gidds announced that the Eastern District of Texas convicted a Sherman man of federal violations. The court found Brian Deboris Black, 32, guilty of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery, robbery, plot to kidnap, and two counts of carrying and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Black was found guilty of all counts by a jury following a week-long trial before U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle.

According to information presented in court, on Oct. 3, 2020, Black and two others robbed a Dollar General store in Tom Bean, Texas. During the robbery, Black brandished a firearm and threatened to kill the three employees in the store if they did not comply with his demands. On Oct. 13, 2020, Black and several others committed a home invasion robbery in Mansfield, Texas. They entered the home at gunpoint, kidnapped three family members and restrained them with zip ties, and demanded money while threatening to kill them if they did not comply. Black shot the homeowner’s son when he could free himself from the zip ties. The victim survived the shooting but with permanent injuries. Co-defendant testimony, DNA, and cell phone analysis were instrumental in establishing that Black brandished the firearm while committing both offenses.

“The Department of Justice will continue to use every resource at its disposal to address violent crimes occurring in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. “Today’s outcome should serve as a message that individuals who use firearms to harm or injure others will be prosecuted and held accountable in federal court.”

“The FBI remains laser-focused on working with our law enforcement partners to counter violent crime wherever it occurs. In this case, our agents and task force officers combined cutting-edge technologies and traditional investigative methods to achieve a significant verdict against a violent offender. I’m grateful that their work has made our community safer,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough.

Black faces up to life in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the court will determine the sentencing based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. The court will schedule a sentencing hearing after completing a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

Part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts, prosecuted the case. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders works together to identify the community’s most pressing damaging crime problems and develop comprehensive solutions. 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.

The FBI’s Sherman Resident Agency, Tom Bean Police Department, Whitewright Police Department, Sherman Police Department, Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Lab investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ernest Gonzalez and Tracey Batson prosecuted this case.