WASHINGTON D.C. – The final piece of a ruthless drug-fueled robbery ring fell into place yesterday when Juwuan Edward Francis Champion, 24, of Bowie, Maryland, admitted his guilt in the brazen armed robbery of a pharmaceutical delivery van. Known on the streets as “Big Money,” Champion pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery – a Hobbs Act violation – and unlawful possession of a machine gun. Judge Amit P. Mehta has set sentencing for March 15, 2024.
The scheme, operating out of the Potomac Gardens neighborhood of Southeast Washington, wasn’t just about the pharmacy heist. From January to October 2021, Champion and his crew – Fitzgerald Hunt, 24, of Washington, aka “GMoney;” Joshua Johnson, 18, of Capitol Heights, Md., also known as “Lil Josh,” and Keyshawn Lavender, 20, of Washington, also known as “Key” – were allegedly pushing Oxycodone, Alprazolam, and other illicit narcotics. The March 30, 2021, robbery of the pharmaceutical van outside a Waldorf, Maryland pharmacy was a violent escalation of their criminal activity.
According to investigators, the crew didn’t just steal the van; they terrorized the driver. Handcuffed and pistol-whipped, the driver watched as his cargo of pills was driven away. The robbery was a calculated move to bolster their drug trafficking operation, turning a simple delivery into a scene of brutal violence. The quick response of local and federal law enforcement led to the arrest of all four men on October 7, 2021.
Hunt, already facing justice, received a 108-month prison sentence and 36 months of supervised release on September 29th. While Johnson and Lavender avoided federal robbery charges, they weren’t let off scot-free. Johnson, a juvenile at the time, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and carjacking in Maryland, receiving a local sentence. Lavender copped to drug trafficking charges in D.C., earning a 30-month prison term. Now, with Champion’s guilty plea, the last of the four faces the consequences of their actions.
The investigation, a collaborative effort between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department, received crucial support from the Charles County, Maryland, Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service, Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department, and Anne Arundel County, Maryland Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Candice Wong of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, with assistance from former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Jacobs.
The guilty plea of Champion marks the end of this case, but serves as a stark reminder of the violence connected to the illegal drug trade. The ATF and its partners continue to target these operations, working to keep dangerous weapons and narcotics off the streets of Washington D.C. and beyond. The full extent of “Big Money’s” sentence will be determined on March 15, 2024, but the message is clear: armed robbery and drug trafficking will not be tolerated.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Violent Crime|Drug Trafficking|Weapons
- Source: Official Press Release
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