A Boston native, Akeem Lahens, 34, has been sentenced to a prison term of over six years following his guilty plea for a series of violent robberies. According to a statement from the U.S. District Court in Boston, Lahens, who was already on federal supervised release for previous robbery charges out of New York, will be serving 77 months for his crimes, with an additional three years of supervised release mandated upon his release.
The string of heists which spanned from late April to early May 2023 targeted various commercial establishments, all located near his residence in Dorchester. On July 31, 2024, Judge Allison D. Burroughs ordered captured Lahens to also pay $1,998 in restitution for the businesses robbed. Brandishing two sizable knives during each incident, he forcibly took money and attempted to corral the victims to isolate areas of the stores, a method forming his modus operandi.
Among the affected businesses were Metro PCS in Roxbury, Boost Mobile and Cricket Wireless both in Jamaica Plain, and a Dunkin Donuts in Dorchester, all of which experienced the terror of being on the receiving end of Lahens' demands. The connection between the robberies was established through consistent witness descriptions and surveillance footage, which ultimately helped in Lahens' capture.
Post his arrest on state charges related to the armed robberies on May 5, 2023, authorities executed a search of Lahens’ residence. According to the prosecution, they found incriminating evidence — the two knives and sandals corresponding to those described by witnesses to the April 26, 2023 robbery of Boost Mobile. This compromised arrest came while Lahens was still on supervised release for a 2021 conviction from the Southern District of New York.
Announcements regarding the sentencing were made by Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy, alongside officials such as Jodi Cohen of the FBI's Boston Division, Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox, and Michael A. Davis from Northeastern University. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin, who is part of the Major Crimes Unit, was credited with prosecuting the case that has now put Lahens away for the ensuing years, presumably bringing some degree of relief to the Boston community affected by the string of armed robberies.
