PHILADELPHIA - United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Tyson Blount, 35, of Abington, PA was arrested and charged by Indictment with four counts of Hobbs Act Robbery and one count of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
The Indictment alleges that the defendant, along with a still un-identified accomplice, robbed four Montgomery County businesses at gunpoint between October 27 and Dec. 20, 2018. The victim businesses included two tobacco shops, a Metro PCS cell phone store, and a Dairy Queen.
“As alleged, Blount’s complete disregard for others’ safety is appalling," said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “The employees of these stores were simply doing their jobs, while the defendant is accused of terrorizing them so that he could steal the relatively small amounts of cash they had on hand. My Office is committed to punishing and deterring this type of senseless violence."
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Upper Dublin, Upper Moreland, and Abington Police Departments, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Harrell.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
