Man gets 20 years in prison for armed robbery crime spree

Feb. 3—Brandon Ryan Moats won't be committing any more crimes anytime soon, at least not in Milledgeville and Baldwin County.

The 24-year-old Milledgeville man pleaded guilty Wednesday to a charge of armed robbery in Baldwin County Superior Court.

Baldwin County Superior Court Judge Stephen A. Bradley sentenced Moats to 20 years in prison and 20 years probation after his release from prison.

Moats was represented by defense attorney Keri Foster Thompson of Milledgeville.

Moats was accused of armed robbery along with hijacking a vehicle from a woman at Kroger on Sept. 16, 2023.

"Moats approached the victim, who had just loaded her groceries into her vehicle, and told her he had a gun," Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit Assistant District Attorney Nancy Scott Moskaly said in summarizing the case. "He grabbed her car keys from her hand, threw her to the ground, and stole her car."

The victim was not seriously injured.

Someone called E-911, and deputies and a detective with the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office arrived at the scene of the crime.

Authorities were later alerted by a Flock security camera that the stolen vehicle had been spotted, and Deputy Lt. Brandon Towe and Deputy Chase Rogers converged on the area.

Towe spotted the vehicle parked in a mobile home park, but there was no trace of the suspect — at least not right away.

Towe later spotted the suspect hiding behind a mobile home, and a foot chase ensued.

It only lasted a short time as Towe, assisted by Rogers, caught and arrested the suspect, later positively identified as Moats.

"The district attorney's office would like to especially thank Lt. Brandon Towe and Deputy Chase Rogers for the quick response and apprehension of Moats and for the recovery of the victim's property," Moskaly said.