Violent Valentine’s Day robbery in Warner Robins leads to life sentence for 21-year-old
A 21-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison in a Warner Robins robbery that turned violent, the Houston County District Attorney’s office announced Thursday.
Treviyon Marquisette Oates was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison for armed robbery, as well as five years in prison for possessing a gun during the commission of a felony, the district attorney’s office said. The sentence was issued the same day that Oates was convicted by a jury following a two-day trial.
Oates and others made a plan to rob someone selling marijuana on Virginia Dare Drive, the district attorney’s office said. The incident, which occurred on Valentine’s Day in 2024, started with Oates setting up a purported drug deal. The group showed up to the home initially “to case the house,” then left, claiming they were going to get money for the marijuana.
“The group returned and shot the person selling the marijuana, the district attorney’s office said,” District Attorney Eric Edwards said in a news release. “As the victim laid on the floor with multiple gunshot wounds, Oates and others stole marijuana, an AR15, and a PlayStation 5. The group then began to leave. At the time of the robbery, one of the victim’s friends arrived at the house without knowledge of what was happening and the group opened fire on him as they were fleeing the scene.”
The friend fled without being shot, Edwards said. The victim who was shot was taken to a hospital, where he underwent surgery and survived.
“A few days after the surgery, the victim was provided with a photo lineup and picked out Oates as being the only person involved in the robbery that he recognized,” Edwards said.
Investigators later found Oates in a vehicle and pursued him, which resulted in a police chase. The driver lost control of their vehicle and crashed, and Oates was apprehended. A gun in the vehicle matched a shell casing recovered from the scene of the shooting and robbery, according to the district attorney’s office.