Tracy Whiting Gets 7 Years for Econo Lodge Armed Robbery

Tracy Whiting, 24, of Newport News, Virginia, is headed to federal prison for seven years after being sentenced for the armed robbery of the Econo Lodge in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The heist went down on February 13, 2016, when Whiting and three accomplices stormed the motel, weapons drawn, terrorizing staff and guests in a violent grab for cash and control.

U.S. District Judge Malachy E. Mannion handed down the sentence after Whiting pleaded guilty to brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence—a charge that carries a mandatory minimum of seven years. The plea, delivered in federal court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, seals Whiting’s fate as the second defendant convicted in the brazen robbery that shook the Northeastern Pennsylvania city.

The other players in the armed assault include Kelvin Robinson, 25, also of Newport News, who in December 2016 was hit with the same seven-year sentence by Judge Mannion. Rodney Whiting, 23, of Scranton, and Kwa’shon Roane, 24, of Gloucester, Virginia, have both entered guilty pleas and are awaiting their day in court. All four were indicted in March 2016 following a sweeping investigation.

Federal and local law enforcement agencies swarmed the case from the start. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) led the charge alongside the Scranton Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, and the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office. Smaller forces from Taylor Borough and Moosic Borough also played key roles, proving that even small-town cops can crack major federal cases.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case with the backing of U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, who emphasized that violent crime won’t find safe harbor in the Middle District. The takedown is being hailed as a win for the Violent Crime Reduction Partnership (VCRP), a coordinated push to nail repeat offenders and gun-toting criminals before they strike again.

The VCRP, led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, stitches together federal, state, and local agencies into a single noose aimed at strangling gun violence. Whiting’s sentencing shows the initiative’s teeth—no matter where you’re from, if you bring a weapon to rob a motel in Scranton, Pennsylvania, federal time is waiting.

RELATED: Scranton Econo Lodge Robbery: Robinson Gets 7 Years