Robbery-of-local-gas-station-for-$200-prosecuted-under-Hobbs-Act

QUESTION PRESENTED FOR REVIEW In today's world, there is no such thing as a purely local business. All businesses use credit card machines, access the internet, and _ purchase out-of-state goods. That does not mean that every robbery affects interstate commerce. The facts of this case involve an 18-year old with no prior convictions who robbed a local gas station for $200. The Eleventh Circuit determined that the robbery affected interstate commerce and could be prosecuted federally under the Hobbs Act because the gasoline and beer at the gas station originated from out of state. The question presented here is whether a robbery of a local gas station involving $200 is covered by the federal Hobbs Act simply because the store received its gasoline and beer from out of state.