Serial Robber Sent to Slammer for More Than 42 Years
Robbed More Than a Dozen Convenience Stores, Gas Stations, and Restaurants in Five Months, Including Three 7-Elevens in Just Two Hours
GREENBELT, MD—U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Anthony Akrah Morris, age 25, of Burtonsville, Maryland, on Jan. 12, 2015 to 505 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiring to commit robbery, two counts of robbery and two counts of brandishing a firearm during a robbery. Judge Grimm also ordered Morris to pay restitution of $3,375.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Assistant Director in Charge Andrew G. McCabe of the Federal Bureau of Investigation—Washington Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Chief Cathy L. Lanier of the Metropolitan Police Department; Chief Mark A. Magaw of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Michael E. Scott of the Mount Rainier Police Department; and Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh.
According to evidence presented during the five day trial, Morris committed three robberies on May 19, 2012, two robberies on May 31, 2012 and one robbery on July 21, 2012. Morris would observe the target businesses before the robberies, plan the robberies with his co-conspirators, participate in the robberies and divide and receive a portion of robbery proceeds. During the robberies, Morris and his conspirators partially hid their faces with cloths or a mask. In all six robberies, Morris stole proceeds from the business, while a co-conspirator brandished a firearm. In two of the robberies, Morris struck 7-Eleven employees when they were not moving fast enough to open the cash registers.
Specifically, at 3:05 a.m. on May 19, 2012, Morris and a co-conspirator entered the 7-Eleven store at 1927 Rhode Island Avenue, NE, Washington, D.C. While a co-conspirator brandished a firearm, Morris took money from the cash register and they escaped. They similarly robbed two other 7-Eleven stores later that morning: one at 4:16 a.m., located at 1927 Rhode Island Avenue, NE, Washington, D.C. where they stole $100 from the cash register; and the other at 5:03 a.m., located at 3004 Forestville Road in Forestville, Maryland, where they stole $80.
In similar fashion, Morris and two co-conspirators robbed another 7-Eleven store at 1:05 a.m. on May 31, 2012, located at 12009 Laurel Bowie Road, Laurel, Maryland. Morris jumped over a counter while a co-conspirator brandished a firearm. The co-conspirator ordered customers to the floor. Morris took approximately $340 from the store cash register. Morris and a co-conspirator also took $475 worth of cigarettes from the store. One of the co-conspirators took money and items from customers, including an Apple iPhone from a female customer. The co-conspirators fled from the store in a vehicle driven by another co-conspirator.
Shortly thereafter, at 2:59 a.m., Morris and two of his co-conspirators entered a McDonald’s restaurant located at 15569 Old Columbia Pike in Burtonsville. One of the co-conspirators brandished a firearm at persons inside the restaurant. Morris and his co-conspirators forced employees to open the the restaurant’s safe from which they took $1,400 in cash. They fled in a getaway vehicle driven by another co-conspirator.
On July 21, 2012, Morris and another co-conspirator entered a McDonald’s restaurant located at 4950 South Dakota Avenue, NE Washington, D.C. One of the co-conspirators brandished a firearm at persons inside the restaurant. Morris and his co-conspirator took $1,380 of store funds and fled the store. A Metropolitan Police Department crime scene technician recovered a partial palm print from the restaurant’s counter, and an FBI forensic examiner matched it to a palm print from a fingerprint card belonging to Morris.
Based on evidence presented at today’s sentencing hearing, Judge Grimm found that Morris committed seven additional armed commercial robberies, including two in which Morris pistol whipped a store employee.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, Prince George’s County Police Department, Metropolitan Police Department, Montgomery County Police Department, Mount Rainier Police Department and the Maryland Attorney General’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein praised the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office and Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office for their assistance and coordination. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan and Special Assistant United States Attorney Gerald A. A. Collins, a cross designated Maryland Assistant Attorney General, who prosecuted the case.