Biloxi man sentenced for armed robbery and aggravated assault of hotel clerk
BILOXI, Miss. – Michael Tybus May, 44, of Biloxi, entered a guilty plea this Wednesday to Armed Robbery and Aggravated Assault as a habitual offender.
Circuit Court Judge Randi P. Mueller sentenced May to fifteen years to serve on each count, to run concurrently, in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
Because of May’s habitual offender status, he must serve the 15-year sentence day-for-day, without hope of parole or early release.
According to Assistant District Attorney George Huffman, who prosecuted the case, on March 9, 2022 at approximately 10:45 p.m., officers from the Biloxi Police Department responded to the Flamingo Beach Inn on Beach Boulevard in reference to a report of an armed robbery.
When officers arrived, they found the hotel clerk very shaken-up with obvious injuries to her head. She advised the officers that, while she did not remember much of what happened, she believed that she had been robbed.
As the investigation progressed, officers were able to view camera footage from the hotel lobby. Officers viewed footage of a man, later identified as May, enter the lobby wearing a hooded sweatshirt and dark COVID mask.
May spoke with the victim for a while as he peered out the window into the parking lot. After a short time, May pulled a handgun from his sweatshirt and put it in the victim’s face. The gun had duct tape wrapped around the grip.
When the victim fought back, May struck her in the head with the gun before going into the office and taking money. An audit revealed that $20 was taken during the robbery.
On March 15th, officers responded to John Henry Beck Park on Division Street in reference to May walking around pointing a gun in the air.
May, who was taken into custody, was wearing the same distinct shoes as worn the night of the Flamingo Inn robbery and had a pellet gun resembling a Glock semi-automatic pistol with duct tape on the grip.
May admitted in Court that was the pellet gun he used during the armed robbery and aggravated assault on March 9, 2022.
During his plea, May told the Court that he was under the influence of Fentanyl during the commission of his crime.
“This is an absolute senseless act of violence committed by this Defendant. He robbed and beat a woman, who was simply doing her job, for $20. He will spend every day of the next 15 years in prison as a habitual offender. We are thankful for the hard work of the officers and investigators at the Biloxi Police Department that made this successful prosecution possible,” said DA Parker.
