Michael Malcolm, 26, thought it would be a great idea to rob the All In One Smoke Shop on the 14000 block of Bustleton Avenue , It was back on October 5, 2021 when he walked in and bought rolling papers. When the clerk opened the register Malcom pulled a pistol and racked the chamber. He pointed the gun at the clerks head and made off with $300.00. Instead of running away , he ran into the Somerton Beverage a few blocks away.
He walked up to the register with some beer and announced a robbery. The clerk did not open the register and yelled out “. “he got a gun” and Malcolm fled the store with the beer.
Shortly after the Somerton Beverage robbery, two officers with the Philadelphia Police Department observed Malcolm standing on the corner at 13501 Bustleton Avenue. When the officers attempted to stop him, he fled on foot. After a short foot chase, Malcolm was arrested. When police officers searched Malcolm, they recovered a loaded 9mm handgun. Officers also seized Malcolm’s jacket, which matched the jacket described by the robbery victims that night.
Malcom faced Federal Hobbs Act Robbery charges. He entered a plea of guilty on Feb. 7, 2023. to one count of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of attempted Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The charges stem from two armed robberies he committed within a matter of minutes on October 5, 2021.
“Anyone willing to rob a total stranger at gunpoint, let alone try it twice in a matter of minutes, is an obvious threat to our community,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “The victim clerks in this case were on the job, just trying to make a living, when someone who’d rather steal money than earn it made them fear for their lives. We and our law enforcement partners are working to identify, prosecute, and lock up violent offenders like Michael Malcolm, to make the streets — and the stores — of Philadelphia safer for all.”
“The citizens who live and work in our community deserve to feel safe,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Through the diligent work and continued collaboration with our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to take violent criminals off our streets.”