Lionel Robinson, Armed Robbery, North Carolina 2019

Lionel Robinson, 43, of Wendell, North Carolina, has been sentenced to 356 months in prison for a string of armed robberies targeting Aldi stores in Eastern North Carolina between January and March of 2019.

According to court documents, Robinson, sometimes with an accomplice, targeted Aldi stores in Lexington, Rocky Mount, Fayetteville, Winterville, Indian Trail, and Kernersville, North Carolina. Robinson would ring the back doorbell to the Aldi store, pretending to be a delivery driver. When an employee would answer the door, he would force his way inside, holding the employee at gunpoint and make them take him to the manager’s office, where the store’s safe was located.

He would keep the gun pointed at the employee while giving directions to open the safe. Robinson wore disguises, including masks, gloves, and reflective vests. When law enforcement identified Lionel Robinson as a suspect, they executed a search warrant at his residence and recovered evidence relevant to the robberies, including gloves and clothing consistent with what was used in the robbery, rolled coins similar to what Aldi stores would have, and the suspect vehicle that was observed on camera.

They also recovered a large quantity of ammunition. “This defendant engaged in violent behavior in a grocery store where families do their shopping,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Through a collaborative investigation between state, local and federal partners, we took a dangerous criminal off the street, and placed him behind bars for nearly 30 years. This sentence should serve as a deterrent to those that are engaged in violence in our communities.”

Robinson was convicted by a jury in October 2022 of two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, two counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. The Rocky Mount Police Department, Fayetteville Police Department, Greenville Police Department, Lexington Police Department, Kernersville Police Department, Union County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chad Rhoades and Yasir Sadat prosecuting and trying the case.

U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan presided over the sentencing. The case is identified as Case No. 5:21-cr-00017-FL and can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for the case number.

The 356-month sentence is equivalent to nearly 30 years in prison. This case serves as a reminder of the importance of community policing and collaboration between law enforcement agencies to keep our communities safe.

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