The group includes, two store managers who took turns pretending to be taken hostage during the robberies.
WASHINGTON — A group of people behind a conspiracy to repeatedly rob a drug store in Chinatown have pleaded guilty. Two of the robbers were employed as managers when the robberies occurred.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia, 34-year-old Michael Robinson and 25-year-old Kemanye Williams pleaded guilty Tuesday to the string of robberies. Their co-conspirators, 27-year-old Gianni Robinson and 21-year-old London Teeter, pleaded guilty in February.
Robinson and Teeter were working as Walgreens managers when the Chinatown drugstore was robbed seven times between July 2023 and February 2024. In total, the group admitted to stealing and splitting at least $28,983.
According to court documents, the group planned to carry out armed robberies at the Walgreens store nearly once a month. Each robbery was planned to happen during the times Robinson or Teeter were working since the two were aware of the timing of cash transfers within the store.
In each of the robberies, police say a masked gunman walked into the store and forced an employee into the manager’s office or accessed the office using a code, reportedly provided by Teeter or Robinson. After getting the money, the gunman would leave through a back exit.
Teeter and Robinson even took turns being the victim in the robberies they were helping plan, knowing the robberies would be caught on internal surveillance. At one point, the pair watched video of one of the “robberies” and discussed how to make it look more authentic, leading Robinson to ask Williams to assault him to make the robbery look more real.
Robinson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery) and using, carrying, possessing, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and aiding and abetting.
All four defendants are each eligible for up to 20 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine when they are sentenced.
