St. Thomas, USVI - On May 3, 2018, District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez sentenced Jakeem Emmanuel, 21, to 8 years and 6 months imprisonment and five years of supervised release, for Hobbs Act Robbery and related gun charges, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced. Judge Gomez also ordered Emmanuel to perform 400 hours of community service and pay a special assessment of $300.
On Aug. 10, 2016, Emmanuel pleaded guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act Robbery, one count of Brandishing a Firearm during a Federal Crime of Violence, and Assault in the First Degree.
On March 3, 2016, a federal grand jury returned an 8-count indictment, which was a result of an investigation into Hobbs Act robberies of two jewelry stores on St. Thomas: Signature Jewelers on Aug. 19, 2015, and 3G’s Jewelry and Repair on Sept. 14, 2015. According to the Indictment, Emmanuel and other individuals conspired to rob the stores and brandished weapons to threaten and intimidate store employees. The robbers used duct tape to bind and gag the victims and then fled the store with cash and merchandise.
This case is a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Virgin Islands Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anna A. Vlasova.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
