Jackson, Miss. – A Meridian man was sentenced to more than 20 years in federal prison Friday for a series of armed robberies throughout Mississippi.

According to court documents, Matthew Byrd, 42, committed four armed robberies of local businesses across Mississippi between April 20, 2022, and May 15, 2022. The robberies took place in Lauderdale County, Forest County and Hinds County. During each robbery, Byrd displayed a firearm to intimidate the clerk and steal merchandise and cash from the business.

Byrd previously pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery and two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.

The Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department, East Mississippi Drug Task Force, Meridian Police Department, Clinton Police Department, Newton County Sheriff’s Department, and the ATF investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam T. Stuart prosecuted the case.

This case is being prosecuted as 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. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. 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.