PHILADELPHIA, PA — A Philadelphia man was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison for fatally shooting a gas station attendant during a robbery and committing a separate commercial robbery, federal prosecutors said.
David Metcalf announced that Chihean Jones, 41, also known as “Cha,” received a life sentence for murder and 20 years for each of two robbery counts, to be served concurrently. Kelley Brisbon Hodge imposed the sentence on Tuesday, March 24, 2026.
A federal jury convicted Jones in November 2025 on charges including Hobbs Act robbery, murder in the course of using a firearm, and using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The charges stemmed from a second superseding indictment filed in January 2024.
According to court filings and evidence presented at trial, Jones drove two men to a cell phone store on the 100 block of East Olney Avenue on August 22, 2022. While Jones waited in a Chevrolet Suburban, the men entered the store, forced their way into a back room, and stole multiple cell phones before fleeing in the vehicle.
Prosecutors said the more serious offense occurred on January 17, 2023, at a gas station on the 7100 block of Torresdale Avenue. Jones and three accomplices planned to rob the business by restraining the attendant and forcing him to open the safe.
When the attendant did not leave the store as expected, one accomplice entered to assess the situation. Jones and two others then went inside, where Jones shot the attendant in the back as he attempted to flee, according to trial evidence. The group then stole the victim’s wallet while he lay on the floor.
“The defendant shot an unarmed man in the back because it was easier than chasing after him,” Metcalf said, adding that the sentence reflects the severity of the crime and its impact on public safety.
Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Philadelphia Field Division, said the case demonstrates coordination between federal and local law enforcement to address violent crime.
The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Parisi and Amanda McCool.
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