A D.C. man who prosecutors say masterminded seven inside‑job robberies at the Chinatown Walgreens is headed to federal prison for a decade. On Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 28‑year‑old Gianni Robinson was sentenced to 10 years and six months, or 126 months, behind bars after pleading guilty in February 2025 to a Hobbs Act conspiracy and related firearms charges. U.S. District Judge Jia M. Cobb also ordered five years of supervised release and $7,245.75 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said in a U.S. Attorney's Office statement that Robinson "isn’t laughing anymore" after investigators discovered he had sent surveillance footage to the gunman along with a laughing emoji. According to the release, the conspirators admitted to stealing and splitting roughly $28,983, and employees were left traumatized by the months‑long robbery spree.
How prosecutors say the scheme worked
Prosecutors cast Robinson as the "hub" of the operation, alleging he funneled inside details from two on‑duty managers to a masked gunman so the robberies would appear like classic stickups instead of an inside job. The seven hits at the Walgreens at 801 7th Street NW rolled out almost monthly from July 18, 2023, through Feb. 11, 2024, with the crew ultimately taking about $28,983 from the store, according to reporting by WTOP. Court filings and text messages obtained by prosecutors say Robinson supplied access codes, coordinated getaways and handled how the proceeds were divided.
Sentences and co-defendants
Robinson is not the first in the crew to learn his fate. The U.S. Attorney's Office says his uncle, Michael Robinson, was sentenced to 147 months in prison, while the gunman, Kamanye Williams, received 198 months. Store manager London Teeter is scheduled to be sentenced on April 23, 2026. Prosecutors and the FBI built the case using surveillance video, text message records and a search that uncovered a loaded Glock at a residence tied to two of the defendants.
Why Chinatown retailers are watching
Local shop owners and employees say the case has become a cautionary tale about insider threats at businesses that move cash nightly and lean heavily on private security. Hoodline has previously walked through Williams’ longer sentence and how the pattern of robberies rattled downtown, as detailed in its coverage of Williams' 16.5‑year sentence.
