Source: Office of United States Attorneys
WASHINGTON –Erin Sheffey, 30, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for his involvement in a series of armed robberies of Brinks armored cars in Washington, D.C. that resulted in the loss of more than $1.2 million. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Sheffey was found guilty by a jury on September 9, 2024, of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery. The jury also convicted co-defendants Brock and McNair of interference with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act Robbery), bank robbery, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. In addition to the 18-year prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth ordered Sheffey to serve three years of supervised release.
The offenses related to three robberies of Brinks armored trucks that occurred on October 6, 2021, December 8, 2021, and March 2, 2022. In those robberies, the defendants used firearms to assault the drivers of Brinks armored cars and steal money. In total, the defendants stole over $1.2 million.
According to court documents and the evidence at trial, the three defendants were members of the Choppa City street crew. Brock, McNair, and Sheffey conspired together and with others to plan and carry out the robberies, brandishing firearms on D.C. city streets while doing so. Each robbery occurred on a Wednesday at about 9 a.m. in the morning and two occurred on busy city throughfares, causing a significant risk to the public. Testimony in the case revealed the conspirators used assault rifles to carry out their robberies.
Co-defendant Brock planned the robberies for months, learning the routes and arrival times of the Brinks drivers, in order to ensure the robbery team was in place. When the Brinks driver exited his armored car vehicle to deliver money to a bank or local business, the robbers ambushed him. In two cases, the defendants assaulted one of the Brink’s drivers, even after he turned over his courier bag.
Some of the defendants used social media to show off large sums of money they stole during the robberies and photographed themselves making high-end luxury purchases. For example, within two days of the robberies, defendant Brock purchased vehicles in cash totalling over $36,000.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Tepfer and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Schneider. Valuable assistance was provided by AUSAs Josh Gold, Meredith Mayer-Dempsey, and Thomas Strong.
An AR-15 Weapon Used by the Defendants During the Armed Robberies
Defendant Brock (Right) and Defendant McNair (Left) robbing a Brinks armored car employee weapon with a firearm on December 8, 2021. Both Brock and McNair assaulted the driver by beating him with their pistols even after he turned over the delivery bag.
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