A federal judge has sentenced D'marrell Mitchell to 224 months in federal prison for his role in a violent robbery ring that prosecutors say turned pharmacies and cellphone stores across the DMV into hunting grounds. Mitchell will also serve three years of supervised release, closing one chapter in a sprawling federal case that linked scores of robberies in Washington and neighboring states to a tight-knit crew of co-defendants.
Mitchell, 36, received the 224-month term and three-year supervised release order, according to DC News Now. Prosecutors and reporting say investigators found photos of firearms on his cellphone that matched weapons used in some of the robberies. Authorities arrested Mitchell after what would be the crew's final job, taking him into custody on the rooftop of a nearby restaurant, the outlet reports.
How prosecutors say the crew operated
Federal prosecutors say the crew cased pharmacies and phone stores, then carried out robberies between May 9, 2020, and May 26, 2021, across the District, Maryland, Virginia and New Jersey, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. Court filings allege members used firearms and physical force, sometimes zip-tying victims and cramming duffel bags with prescription drugs and phones before fleeing to sell the stolen goods.
What he was convicted of
A jury found Mitchell guilty of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery), conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and nine counts of Hobbs Act robbery. “This indictment alleges that these defendants conspired to commit armed robberies, at targeted businesses, using firearms and the threat of violence,” U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves said in the office's announcement.
Court papers describe violent episodes
Court documents describe a Nov. 12, 2020, robbery in which Mitchell allegedly walked behind a pharmacy counter, ordered an employee to kneel and struck him on the head while a co-defendant stuffed a duffel bag with prescriptions, according to DC News Now. In the crew's final robbery, at a CVS in Pasadena, Maryland, Mitchell allegedly forced an employee to open the narcotics safe, tied the worker’s hands with zip ties and fled when officers arrived. Investigators say the spree affected more than 40 victims and netted roughly $300,000 in narcotics and phones.
Investigation and local impact
The FBI’s Washington Field Office led the investigation with help from the Metropolitan Police Department and county agencies in Maryland and Virginia, according to case documents. Other members of the crew have pleaded guilty or been sentenced in separate cases, and prosecutors say the coordinated, multi-jurisdiction effort helped connect robberies that crossed state lines. Local retailers and investigators say the case highlights ongoing efforts to protect pharmacies and retail workers from armed robberies tied to opioid diversion.
