On June 30, 2025, Dabrodrick Deondre Mathis, 21, of Texarkana, pleaded guilty to Aggravated Robbery and was sentenced to 30 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice as part of a plea agreement.
The charges stem from an incident on June 6, 2023, in which Mathis and a co-defendant lured a victim from Texarkana to Gilmer under the pretense of meeting a woman. When the victim arrived, he was ambushed by individuals pointing firearms at him. During the robbery, the victim was forced to hand over his iPhone 14, Apple Watch, wallet, credit cards, and also transfer money via Cash App. The victim reported the incident to the Gilmer Police Department immediately after being released.
Mathis was identified as a suspect after he posted a bail bond for a witness connected to the case. Investigator Andy Dube began looking into Mathis after he matched the description provided by the victim. A subsequent investigation led to Mathis being formally identified and arrested.
During an interview, Mathis confessed to the robbery and identified the co-defendant involved. Charges against the second individual are still pending.
Under the terms of his plea agreement, Mathis waived his right to appeal and must serve at least 15 years before becoming eligible for parole.
The case was prosecuted by Upshur County Criminal District Attorney Billy W. Byrd and presided over by 115th District Judge Dean Fowler.
