Federal court delays plea for WM man as co-defendant admits guilt
Three WM men accused of robbing undercover agent while attempting to purchase AR-15
By DONALD WILBURN
donaldfwilburn@gmail.com
In a federal court session in Little Rock, two West Memphis men, Tyland Mitchell, 23, and Mickarious Oliver, 25, faced proceedings related to the theft of $600 from an undercover officer during a planned firearms deal in January of 2023. While Oliver successfully entered a plea, Mitchell’s hearing was delayed after inconsistencies in his account of the events led the judge to question whether his actions met the legal threshold for the charge.
Demarious Bonds, 22, (a third man involved in the incident) pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to commit robbery and was sentenced to 51 months in prison. According to court documents, the three men orchestrated the theft, with Bonds instructing the agent to meet them in West Memphis to sell him an AR15. Once the undercover officer arrived, Bonds, Oliver, and Mitchell approached the vehicle. Bonds took the money but ran back inside with both the cash and the weapon, leaving Oliver and Mitchell at the scene. When the agent questioned Oliver, Mitchell allegedly raised a firearm and instructed the officer to leave. On Monday, Oliver, admitted to his role in the robbery and was remanded into custody pending sentencing. His plea to assault with intent to
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steal money from a U.S. officer was accepted by U.S. District Judge D. Price Marshall Jr., and he now awaits sentencing following a pre-sentence investigation.
However, Mitchell’s plea hearing hit a stumbling block. While he admitted to being at the scene and possessing a pistol, he denied knowing about the planned robbery and claimed he never pointed the gun at anyone. Mitchell’s differing account led Judge Marshall to express doubts about whether the charge of assault with intent to rob was appropriate. As a result, the judge postponed Mitchell’s plea, ordering further investigation and setting a later deadline for attorneys to provide additional information to justify the plea.
