A Philadelphia man has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for his role in two violent home invasion robberies that targeted business owners and employees. Abdullah Hartage, 28, received the sentence along with five years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $60,000 in restitution. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez.
According to U.S. Attorney David Metcalf, Hartage and his codefendant Ali Chandler were charged by superseding indictment in October 2022. Both pleaded guilty in October 2024 to conspiracy to commit robbery interfering with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery) and two counts of committing or threatening physical violence to further a plan to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery. Chandler is awaiting sentencing.
Court documents state that on November 13, 2021, Hartage, Chandler, and others waited outside their intended victims’ business until closing time before following the owners and their adult daughter home. After arriving at the residence ahead of the victims, four armed perpetrators stormed into the garage as the family parked inside.
One gunman struck a 61-year-old male victim multiple times in the head before forcing him to the ground. Another assailant forced the business owners’ daughter to the ground at gunpoint while another led a 65-year-old female victim from the garage into her home at gunpoint, striking her several times in the head. Both adults sustained injuries during this attack. When a security alarm sounded, the group fled with a backpack belonging to the daughter containing credit cards and identification.
A second robbery occurred on December 4, 2021. In this case, Hartage, Chandler, and others targeted an employee of an area store after weeks of surveillance. On the night of that incident, three armed men broke into her house shortly after she arrived home.
The victim—a 68-year-old woman—was zip-tied to a chair and pistol-whipped in the face. She suffered head injuries including a gash requiring stitches and a concussion as a result of being assaulted during this crime. The perpetrators stole a safe containing cash, coins, and jewelry.
Hartage had previously served more than two years in state prison for similar violent crimes targeting business owners and was still on state probation when he planned these incidents in 2021.
The investigation was conducted by FBI Philadelphia’s Newtown Square Resident Agency along with Pennsylvania State Police and Montgomery Township Police Department. Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Doherty is prosecuting this case.
"This case demonstrates our commitment to holding violent offenders accountable for targeting hardworking members of our community," said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf.
