Joshua Obed Altruz, Armed Robbery, Pennsylvania 2020

A brazen armed robber has been sentenced to over 14 years in prison for two armed robberies of Bethlehem-area businesses in February 2020.

Joshua Obed Altruz, 26, of Bethlehem, PA, was sentenced to 14 years and one month in prison, five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and restitution by United States District Judge Edward G. Smith for committing two armed robberies on February 6, 2020.

Altruz pleaded guilty in July 2021 to two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, and two counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The charges stemmed from two incidents on the same afternoon last February: a robbery of the Taylor Family Fuel and Mini Mart, followed by a robbery of a Rite Aid pharmacy a few hours later.

Each of the crimes were captured on surveillance, which ultimately enabled law enforcement to link the robberies back to the same assailant. In both videos, Altruz was seen wearing the same clothing, brandishing a distinctive two-tone black and brown semi-automatic Glock pistol, and fleeing the scene in a gold Honda Civic with tinted windows and an indentation on the driver side door.

Immediately after the second robbery at the pharmacy, Bethlehem Police Department officers responded to a call and conducted a traffic stop on a car matching the description above. Altruz was found in possession of the distinctive handgun, which was fully loaded with ten rounds of ammunition.

“This defendant brazenly robbed two neighborhood businesses, and for that he will now spend over fourteen years in prison,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Hopefully others will learn from the example set here -- if you rob a business in our District with a firearm, you are going to face serious federal prison time as a result. Our Office is committed to being ‘All Hands On Deck’ working with our law enforcement partners to bring criminals to justice.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the City of Bethlehem Police Department and the Northampton County District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly A. Lewis Fallenstein.

Defendant: Joshua Obed Altruz

Criminal Charges: Two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, and two counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence

City and State: Bethlehem, PA

Exact Date: February 6, 2020

Sentence or Outcome: 14 years and one month in prison, five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and restitution

Dollar Amount: $1,000 fine and restitution

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/armed-robber-sentenced-over-14-years-prison-committing-two-february-2020-armed