WILMINGTON, DE — A 48-year-old Middletown man was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 10 for a string of armed crimes that included robbing two businesses and carjacking a vehicle, all while wielding a distinctive sawed-off shotgun with a duct-taped handle, federal prosecutors announced.
According to court records, Anthony Fields committed the first robbery on January 25, when he entered a Middletown restaurant and stole cash using the altered shotgun. Five days later, he struck again at a Middletown gas station, stealing lottery tickets, cash, and a gas station employee’s cellphone.
Authorities say that as Fields fled the gas station, he carjacked an occupied 2016 Hyundai Elantra by threatening the driver with the same sawed-off shotgun. No injuries were reported during the incidents.
Law enforcement traced Fields through surveillance video, phone records, and data from the stolen lottery tickets. Investigators say Fields attempted to cash some of the tickets before abandoning the stolen vehicle at a local casino and traveling to Philadelphia. He surrendered to law enforcement on February 2 and remains in federal custody.
Key points
- Anthony Fields was indicted on federal charges for two armed robberies and a carjacking in Middletown.
- Authorities say he used a distinctive sawed-off shotgun with a duct-taped handle.
- Fields faces a mandatory minimum of seven years and a maximum of life in prison if convicted.
Four-count indictment includes firearm offense
Fields was formally charged with two counts of Hobbs Act Robbery, one count of carjacking, and one count of brandishing and using a firearm during a violent crime. The use of a firearm in connection with the robberies carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years, to be served consecutively with any other sentence.
Federal sentencing will be determined by a judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory considerations. Prosecutors have not stated whether additional charges are being considered.