Violent Armed Robber Sentenced to 158 Years in Prison

ALLENTOWN, PA—Robert J. Pennington, 25, of Reading, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 158 years in prison in connection with multiple armed robberies committed between December 27, 2007 and February 4, 2008 during which delivery truck drivers were assaulted and robbed at gunpoint in Reading, Pennsylvania, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger and Berks County District Attorney John Adams. A federal jury convicted Pennington on December 10, 2010 of 16 counts including one count of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery, one count of attempted interference with interstate commerce by robbery, seven counts of interference with interstate commerce by robbery, and seven counts of using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.

In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge James Knoll Gardner ordered Pennington to pay restitution in the amount of $3,651 and a special assessment of $1,600.

This case was part of the “222 Corridor Anti-Gang Initiative,” a program designed to defeat some of the most violent and pervasive gangs in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The “222 Corridor” includes the cities of Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, Reading, Lancaster, York, and Harrisburg. This initiative combines federal, state, and local aw enforcement resources to attack gang crime and violence throughout the corridor.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Berks County District Attorney’s Office, and the Reading Police Department. The case was by prosecuted Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph A. LaBar and Sherri A. Stephan.