ATLANTA — A man is sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for shooting at another passenger at the Little Five Points MARTA station in Atlanta in August of 2022.

Department of Justice officials say on August 4, 2022, 43-year-old Robert Lyles was involved in an argument with a stranger at the Five Points MARTA station in downtown Atlanta.

Lyles is accused of showing a stolen pistol from his waistband, where he later fired a shot in the direction of the other man, and ran away.

“Completely indifferent to the safety of innocent people, Lyles shot at a complete stranger inside Atlanta’s busiest MARTA station,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg.

Officials say officers found Lyles five days later standing by the entrance to the same MARTA station with the stolen gun he used in the shooting.

Officials say Lyles is a violent repeat offender with a lengthy criminal record.

In March 2024, a Fulton County grand jury indicted Lyles for crimes related to the shooting. However, by that time, he was released from local custody.

“Lyles was initially charged locally, but he was released on bail and later re-arrested for another gun-possession offense and family violence battery. Thankfully, federal agents who learned of Lyles’s case presented it for federal prosecution, ensuring appropriate punishment for a violent and dangerous predator,” Hertzberg said.

In March of 2025, Lyles appeared in federal court and was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service without bail.