AFamily Dollar employee on East 10th Street in Indianapolis came to work on an ordinary April morning in 2023 and left with a bullet wound in his leg. Now, the two men responsible are heading to federal prison for more than a decade each.
Jeremy Helms entered the Family Dollar store armed with a 9mm handgun fitted with an extended magazine. He threatened the store clerk and demanded money from the registers. When the clerk was unable to open them, Helms took $120 directly from the employee’s pocket — then shot him in the leg before fleeing.
Outside, Jaylynn McKinney was waiting in a Ford Focus. When IMPD officers in the area spotted the vehicle and moved to stop it, McKinney fled. He slowed down just long enough for Helms to jump out and run on foot.
Helms didn’t get far. K-9 units tracked him down. Officers also recovered the sweatshirt and the pistol used in the robbery.
“An innocent employee showed up to work that day and left wounded and lucky to be alive. No one should endure fear of violence while trying to earn an honest living.”— Tom Wheeler, U.S. Attorney, Southern District of Indiana
Both men pleaded guilty to federal charges including interference with commerce by robbery and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Under their sentences, Helms will serve 13 years and 10 months, and McKinney will serve 10 years — each followed by three years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a federal initiative that coordinates local, state, and federal law enforcement to reduce violent crime.
The U.S. Attorney’s office said the sentences reflect both the seriousness of the injury inflicted on the victim and a broader commitment to holding violent offenders accountable.
