Getaway Driver For Gas Station Robbery Sentenced To Prison: DOJ

ELYRIA, OH — An Elyria man was sentenced to 13 years in prison for organizing the armed robbery of a Lorain County gas station.

Jonathan Donnell, 33, was found guilty of interference with commerce by robbery and using or carrying and brandishing a firearm. Two other suspects were also sentenced to prison recently for their role in the incident.

On May 5, 2019, according to court records, a pair of masked men stormed the Marathon Gas Station on Huron Street in Elyria. They flashed handguns, zip tied a clerk, and then stole $30,000 in cash and cigarettes.

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Investigators determined that Joseph Geiger and Michael Ward were responsible for the robbery, the Department of Justice said. Both men were later found guilty for their roles and sentenced to prison.

As the investigation deepened, police determined that Donnell may have also been involved in the robbery. Police learned the 33-year-old planned the crime and provided Ward and Geiger with the tools they needed, court documents said.

Donnell also drove the two men to a location near the gas station and was supposed to be their getaway driver, but he left before the other two men returned, court documents said.

After Elyria police and the Cleveland FBI took all three men into custody, they were charged and given trials. Geiger was sentenced to 13 years in prison for his role, while Ward was given nine years in prison.