Samantha Joseph, a 25-year-old St. Thomas woman, was sentenced Thursday to three years and five months’ imprisonment for a conviction of conspiracy to commit a Hobbs Act robbery, according to U.S. Attorney Ronald Sharpe.
The Hobbs Act is a federal statute that, in part, makes it a federal crime for anyone to obstruct, delay, or affects commerce or the movement of any article or commodity in commerce, by robbery or extortion.
District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez also ordered Joseph to three years of supervised release, to perform 400 hours of community service and pay a $100 special assessment.
On Sept. 29, Joseph pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery. According to the plea agreement, Joseph, an employee of Signature Jewelers at the time, conspired with other individuals to rob the store. Joseph agreed to hold the door open so that her coconspirators could gain entry.
On Aug. 19, 2015, Joseph’s coconspirators entered the store and brandished a weapon to threaten and intimidate store employees. The robbers used duct tape to bind and gag the victims and then fled the store with cash and merchandise.
This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna A. Vlasova.
