Rapper ‘Taliban Glizzy’ Gets 18+ Years For Violent Jewelry Store Robbery Spree

Trevor Wright, aka Taliban Glizzy (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia)

WASHINGTON — Trevor Jonathan Wright, a Washington, D.C., rapper who performs under the name “Taliban Glizzy,” was sentenced to more than 18 years in federal prison for leading a multistate string of violent jewelry store robberies that prosecutors say netted his crew millions of dollars in cash and gold.

Wright, 34, was sentenced Tuesday, January 13, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm, according to federal prosecutors.

Authorities said Wright led a 15-member crew that targeted South Asian-owned jewelry stores along the East Coast, carrying out coordinated smash-and-grab robberies in New Jersey and Florida between 2022 and 2023. The crimes caused substantial financial losses to family-owned businesses and were marked by the use of firearms and intimidation.

An AR-15 recovered on July 17, 2022, from the backseat of a rideshare vehicle in which Trevor Wright and other crew members had traveled. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia)

Court records show Wright admitted responsibility for three major robberies: a June 2022 armed robbery at Virani Jewelers in Iselin, New Jersey, where approximately $1.2 million in gold jewelry was stolen; an October 2022 robbery at Paradise Jewelry in Paterson, New Jersey, resulting in about $1.93 million in losses; and a December 2022 robbery at Kishek Jewelers in Jacksonville, Florida, where roughly $700,000 was taken. He also admitted to unlawfully possessing a machine gun in Miami in 2021.

Prosecutors said the crew researched their targets, cased stores in advance and used rented or stolen vehicles — sometimes equipped with stolen license plates — to evade law enforcement. In at least one instance, a vehicle used in a robbery had been carjacked at gunpoint. During the robberies, crew members shattered glass display cases with sledgehammers while others brandished firearms to control employees and customers.

Surveillance screen shot from the October 25, 2022, of a co-defendant during the armed robbery of Paradise Jewelry in Paterson, New Jersey, from which the crew netted $1.93 million in gold jewelry. — Surveillance screenshot from October 25, 2022, of a co-defendant during the armed robbery of Paradise Jewelry in Paterson, New Jersey, from which the crew netted $1.93 million in gold jewelry. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia)

Stolen jewelry was later fenced in Miami or melted down into gold bars and sold for cash, authorities said. Wright was arrested in December 2022 as he and others left a Washington nightclub, where police recovered more than $17,000 in cash later linked to proceeds from one of the robberies.

In addition to his prison sentence, Wright was ordered to serve four years of supervised release following his incarceration.

The investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI and the Metropolitan Police Department, with assistance from multiple federal field offices across several states.

Who Has Been Sentenced in the Taliban Glizzy Robbery Case

Federal prosecutors said at least 15 defendants were charged in connection with the robbery conspiracy. Several have already been sentenced, while others await sentencing or trial in related federal cases.

Sentenced Defendants

Trevor Jonathan Wright, 34, Washington, D.C. — 219 months (Dec. 16, 2025)
William Hunter, 30, Washington, D.C. — 228 months (Dec. 11, 2024)
Davon Johnson, 32, Washington, D.C. — 111 months (Nov. 20, 2024)
Decarlos Hill, 31, Maryland — 57 months (Nov. 6, 2024)
Lamont Marable, 29, Washington, D.C. — 93 months (Nov. 11, 2024)
Andrew Smith, 32, Maryland — 138 months (Oct. 17, 2024)
Robert Sheffield, 35, Washington, D.C. — 156 months (July 2, 2025)
Jaylaun Brown, 23, Washington, D.C. — 102 months (May 1, 2025)
Timothy Conrad, 34, Washington, D.C. — 168 months (Oct. 1, 2024)
Antonio Tate, 22, Washington, D.C. — 120 months
Delonte Martin, 27, Washington, D.C. — 108 months

Pending Sentencing or Trial

Avery Fuller, 31, Washington, D.C. — pleaded guilty; sentencing pending
Franklin Hunter, 31, Washington, D.C. — pleaded guilty; sentencing pending
Jameise Vaughn Christian, 35, Washington, D.C. — pleaded guilty; sentencing pending
Keith McDuffie, 28, California — charges pending

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