Thursday, February 22, 2024

Fourth Defendant Arrested This Morning

            WASHINGTON – Two former store managers and two accomplices were charged today in a 15-count indictment in connection with a series of inside-job robberies at the Walgreen’s in Chinatown, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.

            Michael Robinson, 33, of Maryland, Kamanye Williams, 24, London Teeter, 20, and Gianni Robinson, 26, all of Washington D.C., are charged with conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery and interference with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery). Other charges include brandishing a firearm during the commission of an act of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, and aiding and abetting.

            Michael Robinson and Teeter were employed as store managers at the Walgreens, located at 801 7th Street Northwest. Michael Robinson has consented to pretrial detention. Teeter was arrested this morning. Gianni Robinson is scheduled for a detention hearing on February 23, 2024. Williams had his initial appearance on February 21, 2024 and is scheduled for a detention hearing on February 28, 2024

            According to court documents, the Robinsons, Teeter, and Williams devised a plan to carry out armed robberies of the Walgreens store in Chinatown nearly once a month, beginning in July 2023, when either Michael Robinson or London Teeter were working. As store managers, Michael Robinson and Teeter knew the timing of cash transfers within the business. In each robbery, a masked gunman entered the store, forced an employee into the manager’s office or accessed the manager’s office using a code provided by Michael Robinson and Teeter. The gunman then robbed the employees and fled through a rear exit. Michael Robinson and Teeter took turns pretending to be the “victim” manager on duty, knowing that the robberies would be captured on internal surveillance. During the September 2, 2023 robbery, Michael Robinson asked Williams to hit him with a firearm in order to make the robbery seem more believable.

            It is further alleged that other robberies of the store were planned but not carried out. Messages between Gianni Robinson, Michael Robinson, and Kamanye Williams show the co-conspirators constantly surveilled the Walgreens to see the amount of cash in the manager’s office and the location of armed security guards, in order to determine the best times to rob the store.

            This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force. Assistance is being provided by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).  It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Song with the Federal Major Crimes section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.