Crew Member Sentenced to 19 Years for East Coast Gun-Point Robberies of Six South Asian Jewelers That Netted Millions

Press Release

WASHINGTON - William Hunter, 28, of Washington D.C., was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 228 months in federal prison for participating in a multi-state string of violent gun-point robberies of South Asian jewelry stores that netted millions of dollars in cash and gold for the 15-member crew, allegedly led by Trevor Wright, aka rapper "Taliban Glizzy."

The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony A. Spotswood of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office; FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado of the Newark Field Office; U.S. Marshal Peter Marketos of the United States Marshals Service; and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.

Hunter, aka "Ill Will," pleaded guilty on September 4, 2024 to interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery) and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence. In his plea, Hunter accepted responsibility for six robberies across Virginia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania that not only stole millions of dollars in jewelry, but terrorized multiple victims and left behind a wake of destruction and financial loss. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper ordered Hunter to serve 48 months of supervised release.

According to court documents, over the course of 18 months, Hunter and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to rob multiple South Asian jewelry stores of heavy gold jewelry of high purity. The conspiracy began in January 2022 and continued until August 2023 when several of the co-conspirators had been charged and arrested.

Each robbery was carefully coordinated in advance of its commission and employed a similar modus operandi, one that the co-conspirators seemed to hone and perfect over time and with each new criminal act. The co-conspirators researched stores to select their targets before meeting in Washington, D.C. and traveling in one or more getaway vehicles to the stores. To evade law enforcement detection, some of the suspect vehicles were stolen or outfitted with stolen tags. At least one of the vehicles was carjacked by Hunter and others at gunpoint on September 11, 2022, and later used in a robbery on September 20, 2022.

The co-conspirators often cased the stores in advance of the robbery and gained access by a variety of means, including using sledgehammers to shatter a store's door or windows before storming in. The co-conspirators employed a show of force to gain compliance from their victims, with at least one co-conspirator armed with a firearm in each instance. They used hammers to smash the glass display cases, filling bags with gold jewelry and resulting in significant damage throughout the stores. In every single instance, however, Hunter and his co-conspirators terrorized the store's owners, employees, and customers by engaging in an armed takeover of the store and then ransacking it before fleeing.

Often, following the robberies, the stolen gold would be melted to bars and ultimately converted to cash. Hunter and his co-conspirators would then flaunt their ill-gotten gains on social media.

On March 6, 2023, in Washington, D.C., law enforcement arrested Hunter on an outstanding arrest warrant issued out of Maryland arising from an October 22, 2022, armed carjacking. At the time of his arrest, Hunter had a loaded Glock 23 .40 caliber handgun with an obliterated serial number in his waistband. That same day, law enforcement executed a residential warrant at Hunter's D.C. residence and recovered, among other items, 135 live rounds of assorted ammunition, four rifle magazines, one speed loader, and an AR-15 rifle drum magazine. They also recovered clothing that appeared consistent with some worn by Hunter during the commission of robberies, along with a crowbar and a hammer.

In April 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Hunter and Trevor Wright, aka rapper "Taliban Glizzy," in connection with the armed robbery of Paradise Jewelry Store. On August 17, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a 19-count Superseding Indictment, charging Hunter and his co-conspirators in connection with nine armed robberies in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Virginia, with substantial planning and coordination occurring in D.C. On March 12, 2024, a Second Superseding Indictment was filed, adding charges related to two additional robberies, including one in D.C., as well as charges related to the recovery of firearms and narcotics from multiple residences associated with the various co-conspirators.

According to his plea agreement, Hunter accepted responsibility for his roles in: (1) the January 7, 2022, armed robbery of Yasini Jewelers in Falls Church, Virginia; (2) the September 20, 2022, armed robbery of Sonia Jewelers and Boutique in Springfield, Virginia; (3) the October 25, 2022, armed robbery of Paradise Jewelry in Paterson, New Jersey; (4) the November 10, 2022, armed robbery of Baral Jewelers and Gift Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; (5) the November 27, 2022, armed robbery of Sara Emporium Jewelry in Jersey City, New Jersey; and (6) the January 27, 2023, armed robbery of Princess Diamonds in Falls Church, Virginia.

This case was investigated by the ATF, Metropolitan Police Department, and FBI Newark and Washington Field Offices. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sitara Witanachchi and Andrea Duvall.

DEFENDANT	AKA	HOME	CHARGES/SENTENCE
Trevor Wright, 33	Taliban Glizzy	Washington DC	Interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery); conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; possessing a firearm during a crime of violence; money laundering; conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity.
William Hunter, 28	Ill Will	Washington DC	Sentenced to 228 months on Dec. 11, 2024, after pleading guilty to interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery); and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Avery Fuller, 29	Deavry Cordell Fuller, Fully Ace	Washington DC	Pending sentencing after pleading guilty in the Middle District of Florida to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Franklin Hunter, 30	Gino	Washington DC	Interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery); conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence; conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity.
Davon Johnson, 31	YB	Washington DC	Sentenced to 111 months on November 20, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Decarlos Hill, 30	Los	Maryland	Sentenced to 57 months on November 6, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery.
Lamont Marable, 28		Washington DC	Sentenced to 93 months on November 11, 2024, for interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery); and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Keith McDuffie, 27		California	Interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery); conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Jameise Christian, 33	Safety, Safe, Safe Play	Washington DC	Pending sentencing after pleading guilty in the Middle District of Florida to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Andrew Smith, 30	Drewso, Drew	Maryland	Sentenced to 138 months in prison on October 17, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Robert Sheffield, 33	Real Lifaa	Washington DC	Interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery); conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; possessing a firearm during a crime of violence; felon in possession of a firearm.
Jaylaun Brown, 22	Lil Launy	Washington DC	Conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery).
Timothy Conrad, 33	Twin	Washington DC	Sentenced to 168 months on October 1, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and for possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Antonio Tate, 21		Washington DC	Sentenced to 120 months for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Delonte Martin, 35		Washington DC	Sentenced to 108 months for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

Photo introduced into evidence depicts the robbery of $250,000 in jewelry from Princess Diamonds in Falls Church, Virginia

Surveillance photo depicts William Hunter walking with a tray of jewelry in one hand and a gun in the other during the January 7, 2022, armed robbery of Yasini Jewelers.

Images posted on October 29 and November 1, 2022, to Hunter's Instagram account depict him with stacks of cash, a firearm, and a wristwatch.

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Updated December 11, 2024