Leader of Three Armored Car Robberies and an Attempted Robbery Sentenced to 106 Years in Prison |
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U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland
April 23, 2010
Armored Car Robberies Included Cash Picked up from ATMs at Lexington Market and Collection Proceeds of St. Pius X Church
BALTIMORE—U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Donald Cromwell, age 55, of Baltimore, today to 106 years in prison for conspiracy to commit robbery, armed robbery, possession of a gun by a felon, and brandishing a gun in connection with the May 9, 2008 armed robbery of a Dunbar armored car at the Lexington Market. Judge Bennett also ordered that Cromwell pay restitution of $125,500 to Dunbar Armored and $60,000 to Loomis Armored.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Baltimore City State’s Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy; Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III; and Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to testimony presented at the seven day trial, on May 9, 2008 Cromwell assembled a team of robbers, including Walter Morsley and Charles Witherspoon, to rob an Dunbar Armored vehicle which was picking up and dropping off cash in the Lexington Market in Baltimore City. Witherspoon and another conspirator drove the robbers to and from the Lexington Market. Inside the market, Cromwell carried a Tech 9-type pistol. Morsley carried a shotgun in a bag and acted as a look-out while the armored car employees were robbed at gunpoint of $105,000. After the robbery, the conspirators fled, later meeting at an abandoned house on Payson Street. Cromwell divided the stolen money among the co-conspirators, giving approximately $20,000 each to Morsley and Witherspoon, and keeping the bulk of the stolen money for himself.
The federal jury also convicted Cromwell of robbing a Loomis Armored car of $60,000 at the Royal Farms store on Eastern Avenue on June 13, 2008; the robbery of a Dunbar car of $24,000 in collection proceeds of St. Pius X Church on July 22, 2008; and the attempted robbery of $261,000 from a Loomis car on August 6, 2008 at 421 North Charles Street. Cromwell was shot during the August 6th attempted robbery by a Loomis guard, and fled in a waiting car.
In addition to the robbery counts, the jury also found Cromwell guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery and related firearms offenses.
Walter Morsley, age 50, of Baltimore, was convicted at trial for his participation in the May 9, 2008 robbery and sentenced on March 26, 2010 to 33 years in prison. Judge Bennett also ordered that Morsley pay restitution of $105,000. Charles Witherspoon, age 50, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on December 22, 2009 to 15 years in prison for the armed robbery and possession of a gun in furtherance of a crime of violence.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys James G. Warwick and Rachel M. Yasser, who prosecuted the case.