Fort Hall man sentenced to 5 years in federal prison for armed robbery

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) - A 23-year-old man from Fort Hall has been sentenced to 5 years in prison for robbery. Chief U.S. District Court Judge David Nye sentenced Malik Marin Ish of Fort Hall to 54.5 months in federal prison, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott.

Ish was convicted for approaching a man getting gasoline in his Jeep Cherokee at a gas station in Fort Hall, where Ish demanded the man's vehicle at knifepoint. According to court records, the man and Ish struggled for a time, and Ish attempted to stab him.

Ish took the Jeep and crashed a short distance away from the gas station. Fort Hall Police located and recognized Ish as the robbery suspect based on the unique red clothing he wore. Their assessment was backed up by security surveillance video from the gas station.

The 23-year-old pleaded guilty in late 2024.

Ish will serve the 54.5-month sentence in addition to 8.5 months of tribal jail time, which the 23-year-old served leading up to the federal trial. Chief Judge Nye also ordered Ish to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.

The 23-year-old will also concurrently serve 21 months for a supervised release violation from an earlier sentence.