Memphis Man Sentenced to over 26 Years of Imprisonment in Connection with Multiple Hotel Robberies

Memphis, TN – Timothy Woodard, 26, was sentenced to 315 months in federal prison for his convictions related to a string of hotel robberies committed in Memphis between October and December of 2022. Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.

On October 19, 2022, Woodard entered a hotel and pointed a handgun at a clerk. Woodard demanded money from the cash drawer. After the register was opened, Woodard took approximately $400. Woodard then forced the clerk to open the hotel safe by threatening to kill him if he did not comply.  The clerk opened the safe, and Woodard took $300 from it.

On December 19, 2022, Woodard entered a second hotel and waved a semi-automatic handgun at two desk clerks before demanding money from the cash registers.  Woodard took approximately $1,500 from the registers.    

Approximately two hours later, on the same date, Woodard entered a third hotel with another person.  Woodard jumped over the counter, pointed a semi-automatic handgun at the clerk, and demanded money from the register and the clerk’s wallet. Woodard took approximately $800-$1000 from the register and $300-$500 from the clerk.

In December 2023, a grand jury in the Western District of Tennessee returned a six-count indictment charging Woodard with three counts of “robbery affecting commerce” (Hobbs Act Robbery), in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951 and three counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). On May 15, 2024, Woodard pled guilty to all counts.

On November 21, 2024, United States District Court Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Woodard to 315 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force along with the Memphis Police Department.

Acting U.S. Attorney Fondren thanked Assistant United States Attorney Lorraine Craig, who prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated this case.

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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.