SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Tracy Whiting, age 24, of Newport News, Virginia, was sentenced by United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion to serve seven years in prison for the armed robbery of the Econo Lodge in Scranton on February 13, 2016.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Whiting previously pleaded guilty to the charge of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Whiting was one of four individuals, including Kelvin Robinson, age 25, of Newport News, Virginia, Kwa’shon Roane, age 24, of Gloucester, Virginia, and Rodney Whiting, age 23, of Scranton, who were indicted by a grand jury in March 2016, for the armed robbery of the Econo Lodge.
Previously, in December 2016, Kelvin Robinson was sentenced by Judge Mannion to serve seven years in prison for charges related to the incident. Rodney Whiting and Kwa’shon Roane have also entered guilty pleas and are awaiting sentencing.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Scranton Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office and numerous local law enforcement agencies, including the Taylor Borough and Moosic Borough Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting 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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