Yes, armed robbery is a federal crime when it crosses into federal territory in one of a handful of specific ways: robbing a federally insured bank or credit union, interfering with interstate commerce, taking a car by force, holding up a pharmacy or other DEA registrant, striking on federal land, taking U.S. government property, or robbing a postal carrier. Most armed robberies remain state cases. The ones that go federal carry longer sentences, no parole, and mandatory extra years when a gun is involved.
What Pushes an Armed Robbery Into Federal Court
Federal jurisdiction depends on what was taken, where it happened, or whose interests were affected. Each category has its own statute and its own ceiling.
Banks and Credit Unions
Taking money or property from a bank, credit union, or savings and loan by force or intimidation is a federal offense under 18 U.S.C. § 2113, punishable by up to 20 years. Walking in with intent to commit any felony inside counts too, even if the robbery never happens.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 2113 – Bank Robbery and Incidental Crimes The statute’s definition of “bank” covers every Federal Reserve member bank, any bank organized under federal law, U.S. branches of foreign banks, and any FDIC-insured institution. That reaches virtually every bank and credit union in the country.
Using a dangerous weapon to assault or endanger someone during the robbery raises the ceiling to 25 years. A kidnapping or killing during the robbery carries a 10-year minimum and can run to life or, if someone dies, the death penalty.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 2113 – Bank Robbery and Incidental Crimes
Robberies That Affect Interstate Commerce
The Hobbs Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1951, is the broadest federal robbery tool. It covers any robbery that obstructs, delays, or affects commerce or the movement of goods in commerce, with a maximum of 20 years.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 1951 – Interference With Commerce by Threats or Violence Courts read “affects commerce” broadly. A gas station that sells products from other states, or a restaurant that buys ingredients across state lines, can satisfy the element. Even a small, indirect effect is enough. This is the statute prosecutors reach for when the target is a business that isn’t a bank.
Carjacking
Taking a motor vehicle from someone by force or intimidation is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 2119, provided the vehicle was at some point transported, shipped, or received across state lines. Because nearly every car in the United States was manufactured or shipped from somewhere else, that element is rarely hard to prove.
The statute requires something extra: the prosecutor must prove the defendant intended to cause death or serious bodily harm when taking the car. Courts have generally accepted conditional intent, meaning a willingness to kill or seriously injure the driver if needed to get the vehicle.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 2119 – Motor Vehicles The ceiling is 15 years with no serious injury, 25 years if the victim is seriously hurt, and up to life or the death penalty if someone dies.
Pharmacies and Other DEA Registrants
Robbing a pharmacy, hospital, clinic, or distributor registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration falls under 18 U.S.C. § 2118. Federal jurisdiction attaches when the replacement cost of the stolen controlled substances is $500 or more, when the robber crossed state lines or used an interstate facility, or when someone was killed or seriously injured.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 2118 – Robberies and Burglaries Involving Controlled Substances Given the street value of prescription opioids and other scheduled drugs, the $500 threshold is crossed in nearly every pharmacy holdup. The base penalty is up to 20 years, rising to 25 years if a dangerous weapon was used to assault or endanger someone, and up to life if someone was killed.
Federal Land, Government Property, and the Mail
Robbery committed within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States is federal under 18 U.S.C. § 2111, with a 15-year maximum.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 2111 – Special Maritime and Territorial Jurisdiction That jurisdiction covers military bases, national parks, federal courthouses, and other land the federal government owns or controls.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 7 – Special Maritime and Territorial Jurisdiction of the United States Defined
Taking personal property belonging to the United States government is a separate federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 2112, with a 15-year ceiling, no matter where it happens.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 2112 – Personal Property of United States And robbing a postal carrier, or anyone else with lawful custody of U.S. mail or government money, falls under 18 U.S.C. § 2114. A first offense carries up to 10 years; using a dangerous weapon or a repeat offense pushes the maximum to 25 years.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 2114 – Mail, Money, or Other Property of United States
The Gun Charge That Stacks on Top
Federal armed robbery sentencing gets severe because of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). Using, carrying, or possessing a firearm during a federal crime of violence triggers a separate mandatory minimum on top of the robbery sentence. Possession carries a 5-year minimum. Brandishing carries 7 years. Discharging carries 10 years. Judges cannot go below those floors.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 924 – Penalties
The firearm sentence must run consecutively. It starts only after the robbery sentence ends; it cannot overlap. A defendant convicted of Hobbs Act robbery who brandished a gun during the crime faces the robbery sentence plus seven additional years tacked onto the back. A 12-year robbery sentence becomes 19 years. A prior final conviction under § 924(c) pushes the minimum for a new offense to 25 years.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 924 – Penalties
No Parole, and Only a Sliver of Good-Time Credit
Federal time is close to real time. Congress abolished parole for federal crimes committed after November 1, 1987. A defendant sentenced to 15 years for federal armed robbery will not see a parole board.
The one reduction available is good conduct time under 18 U.S.C. § 3624(b). A prisoner who follows the rules can earn up to 54 days of credit for each year of the sentence imposed, roughly a 15% reduction at most.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 3624 – Release of a Prisoner A 10-year sentence shrinks to about eight and a half years with perfect behavior. Disciplinary violations erase that credit, and it does not come back.
After release, the court can impose supervised release, which functions like probation. For the most serious federal robberies, Class A and B felonies, supervised release can last up to five years, and a violation can send the defendant back to prison.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 3583 – Inclusion of a Term of Supervised Release After Imprisonment Federal felony convictions can also carry fines of up to $250,000.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 3571 – Sentence of Fine
Can You Be Charged in Both State and Federal Court?
Yes. Almost every armed robbery that qualifies as a federal crime also violates state law, and both sovereigns can prosecute. The Supreme Court reaffirmed in 2019 that separate state and federal prosecutions for the same conduct do not violate the Double Jeopardy Clause, because state and federal governments are treated as separate sovereigns under the Constitution.13Supreme Court of the United States. Gamble v. United States, No. 17-646 An acquittal in state court does not block a federal case, and a federal conviction does not block a state one.
In practice, federal and state prosecutors often coordinate under the Justice Department’s internal Petite Policy, which discourages duplicative prosecutions. That is a policy choice, not a constitutional protection. If federal prosecutors view a state sentence as too lenient, or if the case involves robberies across multiple jurisdictions, federal charges can still follow.