Mocobizscene-Federal authorities said on Tuesday that the manager of a Chinatown Walgreens, which has been a target for robberies since last summer, assisted in planning at least four armed holdups at his own store. They described a scheme that brought thousands of dollars in profits and instilled fear of crime in the once-vibrant downtown neighborhood.
In relation to thefts that ended violently on Sunday, when a Walgreens-hired security guard shot and seriously injured a third suspect in the plot, prosecutors charged the manager, Michael Leroy Robinson, and his nephew.
Authorities linked the group to four particular robberies, which are detailed in the criminal documents. However, Williams was allegedly the manager present for at least four other robberies, one of which involved a gunshot wound to Williams’ head.
Kamanye Williams, 24, the man who was shot on Sunday, was still in the hospital on Tuesday and hasn’t shown up in court yet. He allegedly dragged an employee and a guard into a backroom, seized the guard’s gun, and made off with more than $4,200, according to the police. Police say another guard then shot Williams.
A guard at the Chinatown Walgreens, a known crime hotspot, shoots an accused robber.
Williams was accused with seven drugstore robberies, kidnapping, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault on a police officer, and possessing an unregistered firearm, according to a police statement on Monday. However, D.C. Police Chief Pamela A. Smith informed reporters that further arrests were anticipated because at the time of the incident, they were focusing on Williams and other suspects.
Authorities reported on Tuesday that they had taken the manager, Robinson, 33, and his nephew, Gianni Robinson, 26, into custody and were accusing them both of plotting to loot and obstruct interstate commerce. Court records did not indicate attorneys for the suspects.
According to Smith’s prepared remarks, the Walgreens robberies “disrupted a business that is a lifeline to its customers.” “They dismantled a conspiracy that instilled fear in the community and repeatedly deprived this community of its sense of safety,” the speaker said that police and FBI agents had done.
The FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force and the D.C. police were involved in the inquiry, according to U.S. Attorney for the District Matthew M. Graves. The case “showed that incidents at one store played an out-sized role” in determining the neighborhood’s overall crime profile.
In a statement, Graves stated that “an inside actor [was] helping to orchestrate the entire robbery conspiracy,” adding that “this case also illustrates how a relatively small number of individuals can be responsible for a disproportionate amount of violence and criminal activity in a neighborhood.”
The FBI’s Washington Field office associate director, David Sundberg, stated that although the accused thieves “may have targeted this one business, their actions affect the whole neighborhood.”The manager is no longer with Walgreens, according to a company spokeswoman, and the business is assisting with the inquiry. More comments were rejected by the spokesperson.
According to police, robberies at the Walgreens began on July 18 and persisted through the winter, with one taking place every month but October. This information was released on Monday.
According to officials, search warrants were executed in Maryland and D.C. on Monday night by the FBI and police. Four guns and a bulletproof vest were allegedly taken into custody.
Around the time of those robberies, in which over $15,000 was taken, Williams spoke with Michael Robinson, according to an affidavit that was submitted to the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.
Smith stated in her statement that Williams “made phone calls to Michael and Gianni Robinson in these cases, both before and after the robberies were committed.” She mentioned that a video appeared to show Williams and Gianni Robinson together before to a January heist. Williams entered the store’s backroom during a few of the robberies and “waited for an employee to enter the room,” according to Smith.
According to the court document, Michael Robinson and Williams planned to rob the Walgreens on November 10, December 4, January 9, and February 11.
The affidavit claims that Williams utilized a white Mercedes associated with Michael Robinson in the robbery on November 10 and then entered the manager’s office using a confidential PIN number. According to the affidavit, cellphone data show that the two went “together to the area and leaving together.” The manager is seen on surveillance footage hiring a Lyft scooter, which was also used during the crime.
The affidavit, dated Dec. 4, claims that Williams stole the security guard’s firearm, dragged him into the back office, and said, “You know what the drill is.” Give it everything! I desire everything!
The last theft happened on Sunday. Williams and Gianni Robinson allegedly went to the store together, and Michael Robinson, the manager, was on duty, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit claimed it appeared the robbery was timed to when a security guard was bringing Michael Robinson to the back office with a box of cash. According to the affidavit, Williams threatened to kill the guard and pressed a revolver against him. Authorities claim Williams stole the cash and the guard’s gun after entering the office.
However, the affidavit claimed that as Williams attempted to flee, a second security guard arrived and fired one shot at him, hitting him in the chest.
According to the affidavit, Michael Robinson called his nephew Gianni Robinson right away, and the two kept in touch even while Williams was taken to the hospital. Gianni Robinson “then traveled to the hospital where [Williams] was being treated,” according to the affidavit.
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