Robert Williams, 57, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 29 years in federal prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to six counts of interference with commerce by robbery, three counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Court documents show that between July 8 and August 14, 2023, Williams robbed four different Dollar General stores in Indianapolis on six occasions. He stole a total of $1,799 in cash. In each incident, Williams displayed either a revolver or handgun in his waistband to intimidate store employees.
Williams has previous felony convictions for theft, possession of a narcotic drug, battery against a public safety official, and domestic battery. These convictions prohibit him from legally possessing firearms.
“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,” said Tom Wheeler, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “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.”
“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. The FBI will never hesitate to go after violent offenders. 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,” said Timothy O’Malley, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Indianapolis Field Office.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD). U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt imposed the sentence.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela S. Domash for prosecuting the case.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration among law enforcement agencies and community organizations nationwide.
