Virginia Man Sentenced To 111 Months’ Imprisonment For Armed Robbery Of Econo Lodge In Scranton

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that a man from Virginia was sentenced on March 31, 2017, by United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion, to serve 111 months’ imprisonment for the armed robbery of the Econo Lodge in Scranton on February 13, 2016.

According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Kwa’shon Roane, age 24, of Gloucester, Virginia, previously pleaded guilty to the charges of interference with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Roane, was one of four individuals, including Rodney Whiting, age 23, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Tracy Whiting, age 24, of Newport News, Virginia, and Kelvin Robinson, age 24, of Newport News, Virginia, who were indicted by a grand jury in March 2016, for the armed robbery of the Econo Lodge.

Previously, Kelvin Robinson and Tracy Whiting were each sentenced to serve seven years’ imprisonment by Judge Mannion for charges related to the incident. Rodney Whiting has also entered a guilty plea and is awaiting sentencing.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the Scranton Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office, the Taylor Borough and Moosic Borough Police Departments, and numerous local law enforcement agencies.

Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of the Violent Crime Reduction Partnership (“VCRP”), a district wide initiative to combat the spread of violent crime in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the VCRP consists of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies whose mission is to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit violent crimes with firearms.

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