Armed robbery sentences run from roughly 5 years at the low end to life in prison, depending on the state, the weapon, and whether anyone was hurt. In the federal system, the average sentence for robbery offenders was 110 months (just over 9 years) in fiscal year 2024, and that average climbed to 162 months (13.5 years) when the defendant also faced a federal firearm charge.1United States Sentencing Commission. Robbery Offenses Every state treats armed robbery as a serious felony, and the actual number a judge hands down depends on a handful of factors that push the sentence up or down from the middle of the range.
What Pushes the Sentence Higher
The weapon itself is the first driver. Using a firearm adds 5 to 7 levels to the offense level under the federal sentencing guidelines, depending on how the gun was used. That translates directly into years of additional prison time before any separate firearm charge is even considered.
Injury to the victim is the next major factor. Federal guidelines add 2 offense levels for bodily injury, 4 for serious bodily injury, and 6 for permanent or life-threatening injury. If someone dies during the robbery, the case can be treated as a murder under the guidelines, moving the defendant into a different penalty range entirely.
Criminal history matters heavily. Repeat offenders fall into higher criminal history categories under federal guidelines, which pushes the recommended range up. Some states have habitual offender or “three strikes” laws that mandate 25 years to life for repeat violent felons.
The setting and the victim also count. Home invasion robberies are treated as especially serious. Targeting a vulnerable victim, such as an elderly person or someone with a disability, is a recognized aggravating factor, as is committing the robbery in the presence of a child.2U.S. Sentencing Commission. Federal Offenses Involving Force or Threat Against the Person
What Pulls the Sentence Down
The most common reduction in federal court comes from pleading guilty. A defendant who accepts responsibility earns a 2-level reduction in offense level, with a possible third level for notifying the government early enough to spare trial preparation. That 2- or 3-level drop can cut years off a sentence, which is one reason most federal cases end in pleas.
Role in the offense matters too. Driving a getaway car while others go inside with weapons is treated as a lesser role than holding the gun, and federal guidelines allow reductions for minor or minimal participants. An organizer or leader of a multi-person robbery goes the other way.
Background factors can help. No prior record, young or advanced age, military service, and mental health conditions can all support a lower sentence. A defendant who acted under genuine duress — a credible threat forcing participation — has a recognized defense that can significantly cut the penalty.
Cooperation With the Government
Providing “substantial assistance” to investigators is one of the most powerful tools for reducing a federal sentence. If a defendant helps build cases against co-conspirators, prosecutors can file a motion asking the judge to depart below the normal range. This is one of the only mechanisms that can bring a defendant below a mandatory minimum. The catch: only the government can file that motion, and how much of a reduction the judge grants depends on the significance, truthfulness, and timeliness of the help.
The Federal Firearm Charge That Stacks on Top
This is where armed robbery sentences escalate. Federal law imposes a separate, consecutive prison term when someone uses a firearm during a violent crime like robbery. Consecutive means the firearm sentence runs back-to-back with the robbery sentence, and the judge has no discretion to reduce it. The mandatory minimums are:3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 924 – Penalties
- 5 years for possessing a firearm during the robbery
- 7 years for brandishing the firearm
- 10 years for discharging the firearm
- 25 years for any of the above if the defendant has a prior conviction under this same statute
- Life imprisonment for a second or subsequent offense involving a machine gun, destructive device, or silencer
Concretely: a defendant convicted of federal bank robbery who brandished a firearm faces up to 20 years for the robbery plus a mandatory 7 years for the gun charge, served back-to-back. Sentencing data reflects that stack. Robbery defendants with a firearm conviction under this statute averaged 162 months (13.5 years) versus 76 months (just over 6 years) for those without.1United States Sentencing Commission. Robbery Offenses The firearm charge roughly doubles the time.
State Sentences Look Different
Most armed robberies are prosecuted at the state level and every state sets its own ranges. Some use Class A or Class B felony labels, others use first-degree and second-degree. The same conduct might draw 5 to 15 years in one state and 10 to 30 in another.
A robbery becomes federal under specific triggers. Robbing a federally insured bank, credit union, or savings and loan carries up to 20 years, or up to 25 years if a dangerous weapon is used.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 2113 – Bank Robbery and Incidental Crimes The Hobbs Act reaches robberies affecting interstate commerce and carries up to 20 years.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 1951 – Interference With Commerce by Threats or Violence Robbery on federal land, theft of government property, and crossing state lines during the crime can also draw federal charges. Federal sentences tend to run longer than state sentences for comparable conduct, in part because the federal system has no parole.
How Much of the Sentence Is Actually Served
The announced sentence and the time spent behind bars are not the same number. The federal system abolished parole in 1987 for offenses committed after that date. Federal prisoners can earn “good time” credit of up to 54 days per year with good behavior, roughly a 15% reduction.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 3624 – Release of a Prisoner A 10-year federal sentence can come down to about 8.5 years through good time alone.
The First Step Act of 2018 added earned time credits for participation in rehabilitation programs, which can move eligible prisoners into halfway houses or home confinement earlier. Prisoners on home confinement still have to serve at least 85% of the sentence.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 3624 – Release of a Prisoner Good time credit does not apply to the mandatory consecutive firearm sentences. Those 5, 7, 10, and 25-year minimums are served in full, day for day.
State systems vary more. Some states still have parole, so a 15-year state sentence might allow release after a fraction of that time. Others have truth-in-sentencing laws that require 85% or more of the imposed sentence.
Money on Top of Prison
A federal felony conviction can carry a fine of up to $250,000, and if the robbery produced significant gains or losses, the fine can go up to twice the gross gain or gross loss, whichever is greater.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 3571 – Sentence of Fine State fines can run from $10,000 to $100,000 or more.
Restitution is mandatory in federal robbery cases. It covers unrecovered stolen property, medical costs, lost income, funeral expenses if someone died, and victim expenses tied to the prosecution such as transportation and childcare.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 3663A – Mandatory Restitution to Victims of Certain Crimes Restitution follows the defendant after release and can be enforced like any other debt.
After Prison
The conviction does not end at release. Most federal robbery defendants serve a term of supervised release afterward, and for serious felonies like armed robbery that term can run up to 5 years.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 3583 – Inclusion of a Term of Supervised Release After Imprisonment Conditions typically include check-ins with a probation officer, drug testing, curfews, and travel limits. A violation can send someone back to prison.
Federal law permanently bars anyone with a felony conviction from possessing firearms or ammunition.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 922 – Unlawful Acts Getting caught with a gun after a robbery conviction is a separate federal crime carrying up to 10 years, or a 15-year mandatory minimum for defendants with three or more prior violent felonies. Beyond the legal penalties, the conviction creates lasting barriers to employment, housing, professional licensing, and voting rights in many states.