Defendant Sentenced to 46 Years for Armed Carjacking and Armed Robbery of Germantown McDonald’s

MEMPHIS, TN—United States Attorney Edward L. Stanton, III announced that Arthur Chandler, 25, was sentenced by United States District Judge Bernice B. Donald to 46 years in federal prison for his participation in an armed robbery of the McDonald’s Restaurant at 2030 S. Germantown Road, in Germantown, Tennessee on November 15, 2009, as well as an armed carjacking that occurred that same night.

Chandler’s case was tried before the Honorable Bernice B. Donald, United States District Court Judge, in January 2011. He was found guilty of carjacking, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2119, using a firearm during and in relation to the carjacking, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), robbery affecting interstate commerce, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951, and using a firearm during and in relation to the robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c).

Chandler received a 14-year sentence on both the carjacking and robbery counts, to be served concurrently with each other, and a 32-year sentence on the two firearm counts, to be served consecutive to the 14-year sentence, for a total of 46 years. His co-defendant, Rodney Benton, Jr., who pled guilty to the McDonald’s robbery and a firearm charge, will be sentenced on May 24, 2011.

Assistant United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz handled the prosecution of this case on behalf of the United States, and he was assisted by the Germantown Police Department and Memphis Police Sergeant Joey Pearlman, who investigated the case for the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force.