Indianapolis Dollar General Bandit Gets 29 Years

INDIANAPOLIS – Robert Williams, 57, is trading the aisles of Indianapolis Dollar General stores for a federal prison cell after being sentenced to 29 years for a brazen string of armed robberies. Williams, a convicted felon with a history stretching back decades, terrorized employees at four different locations over a six-week span in the summer of 2023, all for a paltry $1,799.

According to court documents, Williams’ spree began on July 8th, hitting the Dollar General at 5450 Emerson Way. He didn’t stop there. Over the next month and a half, he repeatedly targeted stores at 2131 Central Avenue, 2002 North Arlington Avenue, and 3938 North Illinois Street – even revisiting the Emerson Way and Central Avenue locations for repeat hits on August 11th. In each instance, Williams brandished either a revolver or handgun, flashing the weapon to intimidate cashiers and ensure compliance. He was ultimately charged with six counts of interference with commerce by robbery, three counts of brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

This wasn’t some impulsive act, but the work of a seasoned criminal. Williams’ rap sheet is lengthy, including prior convictions for theft, narcotics possession, battery against a public safety official, and domestic battery. These convictions alone should have kept him far from any firearm, but Williams disregarded the law, putting store employees and the public at risk. The FBI and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) launched a joint investigation that ultimately led to his arrest and conviction.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Tom Wheeler, didn’t mince words. “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,” Wheeler stated. “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.”

Timothy O’Malley, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Indianapolis Field Office, echoed that sentiment. “Robert Williams made the choice to commit violent crimes, and now he will spend nearly three decades in federal prison because of it,” O’Malley said. “He terrorized employees, brandished weapons, and tried to instill fear in our communities. That conduct is unacceptable… 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.”

U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt imposed the sentence. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela S. Domash. This investigation was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal program focused on reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaborative law enforcement and community engagement. Williams will also serve three years of supervised release after completing his 29-year prison term. The message is clear: in Indianapolis, and across the nation, armed robbery won’t pay – it will land you a lengthy stay in federal prison.