On Wednesday, Jamal White, a 34-year-old man from Illinois, received a 16-year sentence to federal prison for committing a series of armed robberies in southeastern Wisconsin. The announcement, released by Acting United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin, detailed White's crimes which took place over a span of three days in May 2023. In each instance, he brandished a firearm and demanded cash from store employees, as obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office .

Targeting commercial businesses, White hit a number of locations—starting from a Speedway gas station in West Allis to a Kwik Trip in Kenosha. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office , his crime spree included two BP gas stations and a Walgreens. Before these acts, White had previously served about six years for armed robbery and was under the watchful gaze of the Illinois Department of Corrections on parole.

During the sentencing hearing, Chief United States District Judge Pamela Pepper took into account not just the five robberies White was charged with, but also his involvement in two additional, uncharged hold-ups in northern Illinois. These crimes, occurring at a Waukegan Walgreens and a Chicago Walgreens on May 21, 2023, added weight to his sentence. White was on the hook, in addition to prison time, for three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution to his victims, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office .

A collective effort by law enforcement to bring White to justice involved the FBI’s Milwaukee Area Violent Crimes Task Force and multiple police departments, including Milwaukee, Greenfield, West Allis, Kenosha, Waukegan, and Chicago. These agencies, working in concert, were instrumental in piecing together the string of robberies and locating White who also faced outstanding warrants for armed robbery in Indiana, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office .