Hobbs Act Robber Sentenced to 408 Months in Federal Prison

 NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JOHN WELDON (“WELDON”), age 26, of New Orleans, Louisiana was sentenced to imprisonment on July 28, 2021 by U.S. District Court Judge Lance Africk for charges relating to nine armed robberies of gas stations, convenience stores, and a bank.

WELDON committed armed robberies of three Shell Gas Stations on General de Gaulle Drive, multiple convenience stores in the West Bank and Seventh Ward, and a bank in Algiers.  He brandished a firearm and wore blue gloves in each of the robberies.

In August of 2019, WELDON was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, two counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, one count of armed bank robbery, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.  WELDON was found guilty by a jury in December 2019 on all counts.

Judge Africk sentenced WELDON to 408 months in the Bureau of Prisons, 60 months of supervised release, and $600 in mandatory special assessment fees.  The U.S. Attorney's Office praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The prosecution of the case was conducted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn McHugh and Greg Kennedy.