Conspirator in Armored Car Robbery Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison

U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland
December 22, 2009

BALTIMORE, MD—U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Charles Witherspoon, age 50, of Baltimore, today to 15 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for armed robbery and possession of a gun in furtherance of a crime of violence, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

According to Witherspoon’s guilty plea, on May 9, 2008, Witherspoon and others robbed an 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, the armored car employees were robbed at gunpoint of approximately $105,000. After the robbery Witherspoon and the other conspirators fled, later meeting at an abandoned house on Payson Street. Witherspoon and the co-conspirators divided the stolen money. The guns used in the robbery, which included sawed-off shotguns, a Tech 9 pistol and a pistol stolen from one of the armored car guards, were in plain view in the abandoned house while the conspirators divided the money.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked Baltimore City State’s Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy, the Baltimore Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorneys James G. Warwick and Rachel M. Yasser, who prosecuted the case.