Cleveland men indicted for carjacking and attempted armed robbery of Willoughby credit union

Two Cleveland men were indicted for their crimes related to a carjacking and attempted armed robbery of a credit union in October, said U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman and FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony.

Arvis Williams, Jr., 22, and Melvin R. Hill, 21, are charged with attempted armed credit union robbery and use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Williams was also charged with carjacking and use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. 

Williams and Hill used a firearm in an effort to rob the Willoughby Eastlake Schools Credit Union on Second Street in Willoughby on Oct. 11, 2017. On the same day, Williams used a firearm to carjack at 2015 Chevy Cruze, according to the indictment.

Each charge of use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence carries a minimum consecutive term of five years in prison if a firearm was possessed, seven years in prison if a firearm was brandished, and a consecutive 25 years in prison for each subsequent conviction. 

If convicted, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.  In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. McDonough following an investigation by the FBI Cleveland Violent Crimes Task Force and the Willoughby Police Department.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.