Jefferson County felon sentenced to 20 years in federal prison

BEAUMONT – A Nederland man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.

Tarrell Donald Nowlin, 53, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on October 1, 2024.

According to court documents, on January 16, 2024, law enforcement officers responded to a call regarding an armed robbery at the Speedway Gas Station located on Eastex Freeway in Beaumont. The store clerk reported the assailant pulled into the parking lot and parked near one of the gas pumps. The driver then entered the business and pointed a revolver at the clerk and demanded money. The clerk opened the cash register, and the assailant took approximately $550 cash and left the store. Law enforcement reviewed video footage from the gas station and local surrounding businesses and were able to identify Nowlin as the assailant. Further investigation revealed Nowlin was a career offender with three prior robbery convictions. Nowlin was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 3, 2024.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by the FBI, Beaumont Police Department and Nederland Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Quinn.