Ohio Man to Spend 18 Years in Prison for Violent Crime Spree

CLEVELAND - A Cleveland man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after he terrorized employees at a bank and several local businesses during armed robberies.

Reginald J. Wimberly, Jr., 24, was sentenced to 216 months (18 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan after pleading guilty in August to:

• Four counts of Hobbs Act violations for Interference with Commerce by Robbery.
• Two counts of Using, Carrying, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to Crime of Violence.
• One count of Bank Robbery.

Wimberly was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $1,426 in restitution. Judge Brennan imposed the sentence Dec. 4.

According to court documents, Wimberly brazenly entered several places of business in December 2022 and used a firearm to threaten employees and demand money. During one robbery, a frightened bank teller handed over cash after she received a note that read "GIVE ME 20K OR I'M SHOOT THE PERSON NEXT 2 ME." Wimberly dropped a cellphone and was temporarily trapped by the bank's security doors but managed to escape and flee.

Wimberly confessed to committing all five robberies during an interview with law enforcement.

Victim businesses that were affected were:

• Dollar General, Broadway Ave., Dec. 27, 2022
• Dollar General, East 116^th St., Dec. 27, 2022
• Dollar General, St. Clair Ave., Dec. 27, 2022
• Family Dollar, Miles Ave., Dec. 28, 2022
• Citizens Bank, Broadway Ave., Dec. 30, 2022

This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division and the Cleveland Police Department.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Rolph for the Northern District of Ohio.