Michael Howie

HAMMOND — A Gary man was sentenced Tuesday to more than six years in prison for robbing two Merrillville hotels in January 2023.

Montell Ward was charged in March 2023 with two counts of robbery. He pleaded guilty to the robberies, where he threatened both hotels' clerks with a knife and stole a total of $300.

He pleaded guilty to both robbery charges in November 2023 and was sentenced Tuesday to 77 months for each, though U.S. District Court Judge Philip Simon ruled they are to run concurrently. The sentence includes a two-year probationary period after prison.

Charging documents alleged that Ward committed the first robbery Jan. 20 at the Norwood Inn and Suites, threatening the clerk with a knife and tying her up with computer cords. The second robbery occurred seven

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