Tony Clanton, also known as “Tone,” was convicted by a federal jury on all counts related to a series of violent robberies and attempted robberies across Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Edison, New Jersey. The charges included Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy, two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, attempted Hobbs Act robbery, and the use of firearms during crimes of violence. The verdict followed a six-day trial before U.S. District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto.
Between January and July 2023, Clanton orchestrated a string of armed robberies. In one incident, he impersonated an FBI agent during an attempted robbery of a jewelry store in Edison, New Jersey. Clanton and a co-conspirator wore jackets and badges marked “FBI” and ordered the victims out of their vehicle at gunpoint. The victims managed to escape unharmed after realizing the perpetrators were not federal agents.
In another case, Clanton and his accomplices targeted a smoke shop in Staten Island. They restrained the employee with zip ties, pressed a gun to his head, and stole approximately $4,000 in cash, cigarettes, and marijuana. Clanton monitored a police scanner and maintained cell phone contact with his accomplices during the robbery.
Clanton also orchestrated an attempted robbery of a car buyer in Staten Island. While Clanton waited nearby, his co-conspirator attempted to rob the victim at gunpoint in front of the victim’s teenage son. The victim managed to flee into his home and escape unharmed.
In Brooklyn, Clanton and his co-conspirator followed an ice cream shop owner from a bank, waited outside his home, and then stole a bag containing over $6,000 at gunpoint.
Following his indictment, Clanton removed his ankle monitor and fled the district two weeks before a scheduled trial date. While a fugitive, he fled from two police officers who had pulled him over, presented fake identification documents, and searched online for how to fake his own death.
Clanton faces a mandatory minimum term of 25 years in prison and up to life in prison when sentenced. The case was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, with assistance from the FBI and the NYPD.
For more information, please refer to the official press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/defendant-convicted-five-armed-robberies-and-attempted-robberies-brooklyn-staten.
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