Philadelphia, PA – A man who terrorized store clerks during a two-day string of armed robberies across Lehigh County has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, prosecutors announced Thursday.
Rubiel Perez, 31, of Allentown, pleaded guilty earlier this year to multiple charges including two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of attempted Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of using and brandishing a firearm during a violent crime. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl handed down the sentence, which also includes five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Perez began his crime spree on March 28, 2023, when he entered a 7-Eleven on Union Boulevard in Allentown, pointed a handgun at a store clerk, and fled with $937. The next night, he hit another 7-Eleven on South 4th Street, again flashing a firearm and making off with $150. Just hours later, he attempted a third robbery at a 7-Eleven on West Tilghman Street in South Whitehall Township, but fled the scene after threatening a store employee.
Federal authorities described the incidents as violent and deliberate acts that placed innocent workers in immediate danger. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) led the investigation, working in coordination with local police and federal prosecutors.
Perez was indicted in November and entered a guilty plea in March. Prosecutors said the sentence ensures Perez will be removed from the streets for more than a decade, without the possibility of parole in the federal system.
No injuries were reported in the robberies, but officials emphasized the emotional trauma inflicted on the victims, all of whom were working night shifts when confronted at gunpoint.
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Key Points
- Rubiel Perez, 31, sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for three 7-Eleven robberies
- The robberies took place over a two-day span in March 2023 in Allentown and South Whitehall
- Perez pleaded guilty to federal robbery and firearm charges and will serve five years of supervised release after prison
Three stickups in just 25 hours landed an Allentown man a decade and a half behind bars.