Rochester Man Pleads Guilty In Series Of Six Armed Robberies

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Lavon Wims, 27, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to six counts of Hobbs Act robbery. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean C. Eldridge, who is handling the case, stated that Wims admitted his role in a series of armed robberies at Rochester stores in December 2018 and January 2019, including:

• On December 28, 2018, at McDonalds on East Avenue in Rochester, Wims held a knife to the throat of a McDonald’s employee while co-conspirator Malik Lott displayed what appeared to be a handgun. Wims dragged the employee to a cash register and a safe, and removed approximately $2,534 from McDonald’s;

• On December 31, 2018, at the 24-7 Store on West Henrietta Road in Brighton, Wims jumped over the counter and held what appeared to be a handgun to the side of a store employee while demanding cash. Wims left with approximately $100 from the store;

• On January 19, 2019, at the Express Mart on Chestnut Ridge Road in Chili, Wims displayed what appeared to be a handgun to a store employee and walked the employee over to the register, where Wims removed approximately $600;

• On January 23, 2019 at Jordy’s Spirits on Dewey Avenue in Rochester, Wims pointed what appeared to be a handgun at a store employee and demanded money. Lott assisted Wims in removing cash from the register, and they left with approximately $350 from the store;

• On January 27, 2019, at the Speedway Gas Station on Elmwood Avenue in Brighton, Wims pointed what appeared to be a handgun at an employee and told the employee to open the registers. Wims then removed approximately $220 from the store, and left to commit another robbery; and

• About 8 minutes after the Speedway robbery, on January 27, 2019, at the Valero Gas Station on East Henrietta Road in Rochester, Wims pointed what appeared to be a handgun at an employee and told the employee to given him money. The employee opened the register, and Wims took approximately $60 and fled the store.

Co-conspirator Malik Lott previously pleaded guilty to his role in robberies at McDonalds and Jordy’s Spirits. Lott is scheduled to be sentenced on October 28, 2019, at 10:30 am before Judge Wolford.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Rochester Area Major Crimes Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.

Wims is scheduled to be sentenced on November 25, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Wolford.