Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced today that Robert Hartley a/k/a “Dooman,” 47, of Philadelphia, was sentenced today to life imprisonment for his convictions in two separate jury trials.

 

Hartley was a core member of a criminal organization comprised of 20 individuals who conspired to commit armed robberies and kidnappings to steal drugs, drug proceeds, and other items of value, from approximately October 2012 to April 2014.  Hartley and his co-conspirators conducted surveillance of their victims, tracked their victims using GPS devices, and used police scanners to monitor police activity and avoid detection.  They also occasionally dressed as police officers as a means to fool their victims.  To control their victims, they used firearms and physical force, restrained them with handcuffs, zip ties, electrical cords, and shoelaces, and even went so far as to waterboard and pour boiling water on their victims’ genitals.

 

In May 2016, a jury found Hartley guilty of attempted armed robbery and carjacking when he robbed and shot a man delivering pharmaceutical products to a pharmacy on Ridge Avenue in 2012.  In that case, Hartley was sentenced to 270 months in prison. In April 2017, a second jury found Hartley guilty of an armed home invasion robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, and related firearms offenses. For those additional crimes, Hartley was sentenced to life imprisonment, plus an additional 75 years, which run consecutively to one another and consecutively to the sentence in the earlier case.

 

“Robert Hartley is a menace to society who richly deserves to spend the rest of his life in a jail cell,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain.  “The sentence handed down today reflects the seriousness of his crimes and our steadfast commitment to rid the streets of people who resort to extreme violence, intimidation, and even torture to make money.  This case is an excellent example of why violent crime is a priority for my Office and the Department of Justice.”

 

“A key component of ATF’s mission is to combat and reduce violent crime. The sentence that was handed down today is another victory in the battle against violent crime for ATF, our law enforcement partners, and more importantly, the citizens of Philadelphia,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Donald Robinson.  “Justice was served for all of the victims who can now feel safe knowing Robert Hartley will spend the rest of his life behind bars.  We appreciate the cooperation of our federal, state, and local partners to bring this case to a successful conclusion.”

 

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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Philadelphia Police Department and various other local police departments throughout the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the District of New Jersey.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Salvatore L. Astolfi and Jeanine Linehan.