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Seven Men Plead Guilty, Sentenced in Pennsylvania Rest-Stop Robbery Spree

The pleas followed a joint probe by state authorities into nonviolent, distraction-style thefts at highway rest areas.

Overview

  • John Black, Wendell Compton, Robert Murphy, Darrell Noel, Robert Chandler, Adam Smith, and Danny Williams each pleaded guilty to five counts of third-degree felony robbery.
  • A Westmoreland County judge sentenced each defendant to at least three months in prison followed by parole supervision.
  • Investigators say the group targeted truckers and other motorists in April 2023 at rest stops on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and other highways in Somerset, Westmoreland, and Dauphin counties.
  • Officials reported that no weapons were used and no injuries were recorded in the series of distraction-style robberies.
  • The pleas resolved trials that had been scheduled this week after a joint investigation by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and the State Police.