Cleveland, Ohio – A 24-year-old Cleveland man has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for a series of armed robberies that occurred in late December 2022. Reginald J. Wimberly, Jr. was handed the sentence by U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan after pleading guilty to multiple violent offenses.
Series of Armed Robberies Across Cleveland
Wimberly pleaded guilty in August to a total of seven charges, including four counts of Hobbs Act violations for Interference with Commerce by Robbery, two counts of Using, Carrying, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, and one count of Bank Robbery.
According to court documents, Wimberly carried out a string of armed robberies across Cleveland in a span of just four days. Armed with a firearm, he entered multiple Dollar General stores and a Family Dollar, threatening employees and demanding cash. On December 30, 2022, Wimberly escalated his crimes by targeting Citizens Bank on Broadway Avenue.
During the bank robbery, Wimberly handed a terrifying note to a teller that read, “GIVE ME 20K OR I’M SHOOT THE PERSON NEXT 2 ME.” The teller complied out of fear, giving him money. Wimberly dropped his cellphone at the scene and was momentarily trapped by the bank’s security doors. However, he managed to escape and flee the scene before law enforcement arrived.
Full Confession and Sentencing
Wimberly confessed to committing all five robberies during a later interview with law enforcement. The businesses he targeted included:
- Dollar General, Broadway Ave. – December 27, 2022
- Dollar General, East 116th St. – December 27, 2022
- Dollar General, St. Clair Ave. – December 27, 2022
- Family Dollar, Miles Ave. – December 28, 2022
- Citizens Bank, Broadway Ave. – December 30, 2022
Judge Brennan sentenced Wimberly to 216 months (18 years) in federal prison on December 4, along with three years of supervised release following his incarceration. He was also ordered to pay $1,426 in restitution to the victims of the crimes…