Ohio man sentenced for string of robberies, distribution in western PA

( WJET/WFXP ) — More than a decade and a half have been added to a former Ohio man’s sentence for his role in a string of pharmacy robberies in western Pennsylvania and selling the stolen drugs.

A Pittsburgh judge sentenced 26-year-old Abdulrahman Abdelaziz Jamea, formerly of Columbus, to an additional 17.5 years in prison for the robberies in 2018 and 2019 in Beaver, Bridgeville, Edinboro, Erie, and the Oakland area of Pittsburgh.

Jamea was convicted in March of three counts of armed pharmacy robbery, two counts of pharmacy robbery, conspiracy to commit armed pharmacy robbery and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.

“Jamea’s armed robbery spree across western Pennsylvania risked the lives of pharmacy employees and ordinary civilians who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time—all so he and his co-conspirators could steal dangerous drugs and later sell them on the street,” said U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan.

During three of the robberies Jamea and others went to different pharmacies brandishing firearms and threatened to kill workers if they didn’t open the locked safes containing drugs like opioids and amphetamines.

After each robbery, Jamea and the others involved returned to Columbus, Ohio, to sell them to individuals and other dealers.

During the sentencing, the judge made a special mention of Jamea holding a pharmacy worker at gunpoint while his partner stole drugs from the safe during a robbery in Edinboro.

Jamea is already serving a 40-plus-year sentence for an eight-count conviction of felony assault with a firearm with the sentences set to run consecutively.

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