Tracy Whiting, Rodney Whiting, Kwa’shon Roane, Kelvin Robinson, Armed Robbery, Pennsylvania 2016

SCRANTON – In a brazen act of violence, three Virginia residents and a Scranton man allegedly stormed into the Econo Lodge on Kane Street in Scranton, leaving a trail of destruction and fear in their wake. The incident, which occurred on February 13, 2016, has now led to the indictment of the four suspects.

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the indictment charges Tracy Whiting, age 24, of Newport News, Virginia; Kwa’shon Roane, age 24, of Gloucester, Virginia; Kelvin Robinson, age 24, of Newport News, Virginia, and Rodney Whiting, age 23, of Scranton, with one count of interference with commerce by robbery and aiding and abetting, one count of conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by robbery, and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

The investigation was a joint effort between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the Scranton Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office, Taylor Borough and Moosic Borough Police Departments.

Prosecution has been assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara, who will be tasked with bringing the perpetrators to justice.

This case was brought as part of the Violent Crime Reduction Partnership (“VCRP”), a district-wide initiative to combat the spread of violent crime in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

The indictment alleges that the four suspects committed a serious crime, one that carries significant penalties. According to the indictment, the maximum penalty for the robbery charges under federal law is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine. The charge of brandishing a firearm carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years, consecutive to any other sentence.

In determining the sentence, the judge will consider the nature, circumstances, and seriousness of the offense, as well as the history and characteristics of the defendant. This means that the actual sentence may be different from the statutory maximum penalty.

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