Three Brothers Sentenced for Fairfax-Area Armed Robberies

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA – Three brothers have been sentenced to lengthy federal prison terms for a series of armed robberies across the D.C. area, including two tobacco shop holdups in Fairfax County. The final sentencing took place on Aug. 7, concluding a months-long prosecution.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the brothers — Andre Joel White Jr., Aaron White, and Abdullah Michelle — carried out seven armed robberies between September 2023 and February 2024 in Virginia and Maryland. The crimes were detailed in an FBI affidavit.

Fairfax County Robberies

Bailey’s Crossroads – Dec. 4, 2023
Court records show that all three brothers entered Tobacco Mart just before closing at 11 p.m. and confronted an employee who was counting money at the register.

One suspect brandished a handgun and demanded cash, taking about $700.
The gunman also ordered the employee to open the store’s safe, but the worker didn’t have access.
Meanwhile, the other two suspects grabbed roughly 150 cartons of Newport cigarettes — worth about $12,500 — and the employee’s cellphone before fleeing.

Hybla Valley – Jan. 28, 2024
In the second Fairfax County heist, two of the brothers entered Tobacco Bazaar around 8:45 p.m., armed with a handgun and what appeared to be a small baseball bat or baton.

They stole $220 from the cash register and a safe containing about $3,000.
At least 25 cartons of Newport cigarettes (valued at about $2,000) were also taken.

Arrests and Charges

The brothers were arrested earlier this year and each pleaded guilty to charges that included brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery.

Although prosecutors linked them to the armed theft of a vehicle in Washington, D.C., used in the Bailey’s Crossroads robbery, court records indicate they weren’t charged for that specific crime.

Sentences Imposed

Abdullah Michelle – Sentenced on July 2, 2024, to 21 years in federal prison.
Aaron White – Sentenced on June 18, 2024, to 14 years.
Andre Joel White Jr. – Pleaded guilty on Dec. 18, 2024, and sentenced on Aug. 7, 2025, to 10.5 years.

Federal prosecutors emphasized that the brothers’ coordinated, armed approach — coupled with significant stolen merchandise — demonstrated a serious threat to public safety. All three will serve their sentences in federal prison without the possibility of parole.