HARRISBURG, Pa. — Federal prosecutors have indicted a Harrisburg man for committing a series of robberies in Dauphin County last month.
Clarence Bernard Mitchell, 33, was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury on charges of committing a Hobbs Act robbery, according to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam.
The Hobbs Act is a federal law prohibiting extortion or robbery by wrongful use of force or fear, affecting interstate or foreign commerce, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The indictment alleges that on June 5, Mitchell entered the Agate Smoke Shop in Dauphin County, approached the cash register, pointed a paper bag at the employee—implying that he had a gun in the bag—and instructed the employee to open the register. He then took money by means of threatened force, according to Karam.
Mitchell allegedly returned to the same business three days later and committed another robbery by the same method, the indictment states.
On June 14, according to the indictment, Mitchell entered a Cricket Wireless dealer in Dauphin County and committed a third robbery with the same modus operandi.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Harrisburg Bureau of Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Williams is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the charged offense is up to 20 years imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment and a fine, according to Karam.
