An Indianapolis man with a lengthy criminal record has been handed a nearly three-decade sentence for a series of robberies targeting Dollar General stores. Robert Williams, 57, pled guilty to multiple federal charges, including six counts of robbery, brandishing a firearm during a violent crime, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.
Between early July and mid-August 2023, Williams robbed four different Dollar General locations in Indianapolis, netting a total of $1,799 in cash. The series of crimes saw him displaying a revolver or handgun to intimidate employees and facilitate his theft. Despite, a past marred by convictions such as theft, possession of narcotics, and battery, Williams continued to perpetrate violent crimes, adding to his criminal history which spans almost four decades.
In a statement obtained by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana, U.S. Attorney Tom Wheeler commented on the gravity of Williams’s actions. “Six different times the defendant terrorized innocent people who simply had the misfortune to work at a business he decided to target for a few hundred dollars. Armed, repeat criminals are a menace to our communities and must be held accountable. This sentence demonstrates that this type of violent lawlessness carries serious consequences.”
Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Indianapolis Field Office, Timothy O’Malley, reinforced this stance, “Robert Williams made the choice to commit violent crimes, and now he will spend nearly three decades in federal prison because of it. He terrorized employees, brandished weapons, and tried to instill fear in our communities. That conduct is unacceptable, and today’s sentence proves there is, a heavy price for it. If you pick up a gun to commit crime, we will track you down, we will take you off the streets, and you will go to prison. It’s that simple.”
The FBI, alongside the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD), led the investigation into the robberies, resulting in Williams’s conviction. With U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt imposing the sentence, the case also brings attention to Project Safe Neighborhoods. Williams will also face three years of supervised release following his prison term.
