NORTHERN NEW JERSEY – Rodney Williams, 33, of Jersey City, has been sentenced to 26 years in federal prison for his role in a violent armed robbery spree that included four robberies and two shootings in a single night, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti imposed the sentence at the federal courthouse in Newark. In addition to his lengthy prison term, Williams will serve five years of supervised release.
Williams pleaded guilty in December 2024 to a six-count federal indictment, which included Hobbs Act robbery, firearm use during a violent crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court records and statements, the crime spree occurred on November 14, 2021, beginning with Williams robbing a store at gunpoint. He was later joined by his co-defendant, Siobhan Chandler, and the pair continued their rampage by robbing a gas station, where Williams shot an attendant in the chest after a delay in handing over money.
The violence escalated when they entered a second store, with Williams again threatening a clerk at gunpoint and fleeing with cash. Their final stop was a local restaurant, where Williams shot a cashier in the chest after they failed to comply quickly enough with his demands.
In each case, Williams used a firearm to terrorize victims, steal cash, and escape with Chandler, who was sentenced to 12 years in April 2024 for her involvement.
The case was investigated by the Jersey City Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shontae D. Gray and Eli Jacobs, both of the Criminal Division in Newark, prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney Habba praised the collaborative effort, emphasizing that the sentence reflects the federal commitment to tackling violent crime through local-federal law enforcement partnerships.
