United States Attorney David Metcalf announced the sentencing of Amir Harvey, a 25-year-old from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Harvey received a sentence of eight years in prison followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $717 in restitution. The charges against him included armed robbery and carjacking in Northeast Philadelphia.
Harvey's arrest took place in September 2022, with an indictment following in October of the same year. By October 2024, he pleaded guilty to charges of Hobbs Act robbery, carjacking, and possession of ammunition by a felon.
According to court documents and Harvey's admission, on September 9, 2022, he and three accomplices approached the Hook and Reel restaurant at 9763 Roosevelt Boulevard around 11 p.m. After encountering an employee outside, Harvey entered the premises, held the employee at gunpoint, stole approximately $400 from cash drawers, and fled.
In another incident on September 19, 2022, Philadelphia police responded to a robbery report on Maxwell Place. A victim reported that her vehicle had been stolen by an armed individual as she prepared to take her teenage daughter to school. The defendant was identified as having pointed an imitation firearm with a high-capacity magazine at them before taking their vehicle.
The victim used her phone’s tracking app to locate her car on Griffith Street about two-and-a-half miles away. Police used surveillance footage from the area to trace both the vehicle and Harvey to a nearby apartment complex.
U.S. Attorney Metcalf commented on the crimes: “This armed robbery and carjacking were violent crimes targeting absolutely innocent victims.” He emphasized that such offenses create fear within communities but reassured that “The Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force is working every day to hold perpetrators accountable.”
Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division added: “Amir Harvey is going to federal prison for many years for this brazen and calculated carjacking and robbery.” He expressed hope that this case would deter future violence.
The investigation was conducted by multiple agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) alongside local law enforcement under the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force initiative. The case prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert E. Eckert and Lauren E. Stram.