Camden County Man Pleads Guilty to Violent Armed Robberies of Three Corner Stores in Philadelphia’s Kensington Section

PHILADELPHIA - United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Jared Stanley, 32, of Lindenwold, New Jersey, entered a plea of guilty on Friday, October 11, 2024, before United States District Court Judge John F. Murphy to three counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in connection with the armed robberies of three corner stores in Philadelphia's Kensington section.

Stanley committed all three robberies during a two-week span in late January and early February of this year.

On January 21, 2024, the defendant entered the Birch Mini-Market, located at 2001 East Birch Street. He approached the counter, pointed a gun at the cashier, and demanded money. When the cashier didn't understand him, Stanley started screaming at them. He repeatedly hit the cashier in the head with the gun, stole approximately $550 from the register, and fled.

On January 28, 2024, Stanley and an unidentified co-conspirator entered the Capricorno Grocery, located at 2000 East Orleans Street. Stanley walked to the employee area of the store, displayed a firearm, grabbed the employee by the shirt and forcibly pulled him away, pistol whipped him repeatedly, and stood guard over him while his accomplice went back to the register and stole approximately $500.

On February 2, 2024, Stanley and an unidentified co-conspirator entered Bonifacios Grocery, located at 3052 Frankford Avenue. They pushed an employee to the cash register, told him to get on the ground and then pistol whipped him in the head. Stanley and his accomplice then stole approximately $500 from the cash register and fled the store on foot.

Stanley is scheduled to be sentenced on January 29, 2025. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison and a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment, five years of supervised release, a $1,250,000 fine, and a $500 special assessment.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Eckert.