Two members of the Choppa City crew, linked to a series of violent armed robberies in Washington, D.C., received stiff sentences yesterday, capping off a saga of crime that terrorized the city streets. William Brock, 33, and Anthony Antwon McNair, Jr., 36, were sentenced to lengthy prison terms for their roles in hijacking three Brinks armored cars and stealing over $1.2 million.
U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., along with officials from the FBI and Metropolitan Police Department, announced the sentences, which amount to over five decades for Brock and more than three for McNair. According to a statement from the Justice Department, the defendants used firearms to subdue Brinks employees and executed the heists with reckless disregard for the safety of the public.
These crimes were meticulously planned. Brock studied the Brinks trucks' routes and timing, positioning his team to strike with precision at around 9 a.m. on three separate Wednesdays. The prosecution presented evidence that assault rifles were used to intimidate and assault drivers, even after they had complied and surrendered the money. A federal jury convicted the defendants on September 9, 2024, on multiple charges, ranging from conspiracy to interference with interstate commerce by robbery to brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
In addition to their respective 657 and 378-month sentences, U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth ordered Brock and McNair to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $1.2 million in restitution. Photos on social media of the crew flaunting the spoils of their crimes and subsequent luxury purchases were among the evidence that led to their convictions.
The sentences of Brock and McNair follow that of co-defendant Erin Sheffey, who was handed an 18-year sentence earlier this year for conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery. Attempts to intimidate witnesses were mentioned in the court as part of the reason for the severity of the sentences handed down to the Choppa City crew. The case against them was a coordinated effort by the FBI's Washington Field Office's Violent Crimes Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department, with assistance from several Assistant U.S. Attorneys.
