District of Columbia

LOCAL CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY
Store manager charged in robberies at Chinatown Walgreens

By Peter Hermann
February 13, 2024 at 7:22 p.m. EST



The exterior of the Walgreens in Chinatown where a security guard shot an alleged armed robber inside the store. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

The manager of a Chinatown Walgreens that has been a frequent target for robbery since last summer helped orchestrate at least four armed holdups at his own store, federal authorities said Tuesday as they outlined a scheme that netted thousands of dollars and sparked fear about crime in the once vibrant downtown neighborhood.

Prosecutors charged the manager, Michael Leroy Robinson, and his nephew in connection with robberies that authorities said came to a violent end Sunday, when a security guard hired by Walgreens shot and critically wounded a third suspect in the conspiracy. ... The charging documents specifically detail four robberies that authorities attributed to the group, though they alleged that Williams was the manager on duty for at least four more, including one in which a suspect hit him in the head with a gun.

The man who was shot on Sunday, Kamanye Williams, 24, remained hospitalized Tuesday and has not made an initial appearance in court. According to police, he forced a guard and an employee to a backroom, took the guard’s gun and stole more than $4,200. Police said another guard then shot Williams.

[ Guard shoots alleged robber at Chinatown Walgreens, a frequent target of crime ]

Police said Monday that Williams had been charged with seven robberies of the pharmacy, as well as assault with a dangerous weapon, kidnapping, assault on a police officer and carrying an unlicensed firearm. But D.C. Police Chief Pamela A. Smith told reporters more arrests were expected, as they had been zeroing in on Williams and other suspects when the shooting occurred. ... On Tuesday, authorities said they arrested the manager, 33-year-old Robinson, and his nephew, Gianni Robinson, 26, and charged them each with conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery. Attorneys for the suspects were not listed in court documents.

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By Peter Hermann
Peter Hermann covers crime for The Washington Post. He previously worked for the Baltimore Sun for 22 years, covering a Baltimore suburb and then the Baltimore Police Department. Twitter https://twitter.com/phscoop