SOUTH BEND – An Elkhart man who went on an armed robbery spree across northern Indiana in 2017 was sentenced Monday.

55-year-old Rex Hammond received 47-years in federal prison and must pay $2,630 in restitution.

A jury convicted Hammond at the conclusion of a four day trial of 5 counts of Hobbs Act Robbery, 2 counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and 1 count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

As part of his robbery spree, he robbed gas stations and a liquor store located in Logansport, Peru, Auburn, and Decatur.

Hammond already had five felony convictions for armed robbery, robbery, or attempted armed robbery convictions. In fact, Hammond has spent the majority of the past 40 years robbing people or serving prison time for doing exactly that.

Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Office Grant Mendenhall said, "This sentence send a strong and clear message that violence such as this, that puts innocent people at risk and instills fear in our communities, won't be tolerated."