A Columbus man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges connected to a series of armed robberies and gun shop thefts that occurred in January 2025. Dequan M. Keys, 30, faces allegations involving seven robberies and one attempted robbery over a two-week period.
Authorities allege that Keys possessed a firearm during five of the robberies, despite being legally prohibited from doing so due to a prior felony conviction. Marwan H. Muhammad, 33, also from Columbus, is accused of participating in one of the incidents.
The indictment outlines that Keys stole handguns from Vance Outdoors, a federally licensed firearms dealer, on January 12 and January 17. Muhammad is alleged to have assisted with the January 17 theft.
Between January 21 and January 26, prosecutors say Keys used or brandished a firearm while robbing several businesses: Little Caesars Pizza on Harrisburg Pike in Columbus; Turkey Hill locations on South Hamilton Road in Whitehall, Stringtown Road in Grove City, and Morse Road in Columbus; as well as Dollar General on West Broad Street in Columbus. He is also accused of attempting to rob the Turkey Hill store on Cleveland Avenue in Columbus on the same day as the Little Caesars incident.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Thomas A. Greco, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), announced the charges against both men. Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton is prosecuting the case.
“An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law,” authorities stated.
