Washington, DC Man Sentenced to Over 25 Years in Prison for Armed Robbery and Carjacking Shootings |
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U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of Maryland
6 June 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Marcellus Ramone Freeman, a/k/a Derrick Relando Pitts, age 24, of Washington, D.C., today to 308 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for robbery, discharging a gun during a robbery and carjacking, in connection with an armored car robbery and a carjacking in which a victim was shot in the arm and head.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; the members of the FBI Cross Border Task Force - Special Agent in Charge Kevin Perkins of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Assistant Director in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington Field Office; Chief Hank Stawinski of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Cathy L. Lanier of the Metropolitan Police Department; Chief Alan Goldberg of the Takoma Park Police Department; Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy; and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela D. Alsobrooks.
“We are pleased with the sentence,” said Chief Alan M. Goldberg of the Takoma Park Police Department. “The defendants in this case were involved in several violent crimes throughout the Washington, D.C. area. They displayed a total disregard for life while committing serious crimes. This sends a clear message to criminals that through a coordinated effort from our regional and federal partners, that this behavior has consequences.”
According to his plea agreement and court documents, on October 26, 2012, Freeman and co-conspirators Anthony Cannon and Tonnie Floyd who were riding in a stolen Jeep, followed an armored transport truck to a store located on University Boulevard East in Takoma Park, Maryland. An employee got out of the armored truck, walked into the store and picked up a bag containing $3,911. As the employee returned to the armored truck, he was confronted by two co-conspirators with guns. The employee dropped the money bag and at least one co-conspirator fired a gun at the employee. The employee shot back. One of the defendants picked up the money bag. They ran back to the stolen Jeep. As the defendants drove away, the employee continued to fire his handgun at the Jeep, striking a tire and the back window. Floyd was wounded in the shoulder during the gunfire.
The defendants left the Jeep in a neighborhood nearby because it had a flat tire as a result of the shooting. They saw a man entering a vehicle, and shot the man in the arm and head, causing permanent and life-threatening bodily injury, then stole his vehicle. The defendants drove the vehicle into the District of Columbia, where they set it on fire.
Police evidence personnel recovered blood containing DNA of Floyd from the back seat of the Jeep. Floyd went to a hospital that day in the District of Columbia for medical treatment of his gunshot wound. Freeman’s finger and palm prints were found on the money bag left in the Jeep.
Co-conspirator Anthony Terrell Cannon, age 26, of Washington, D.C., was convicted at trial conspiracy, robbery, carjacking, and two counts of discharging a gun during a crime of violence, and interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle. Judge Chasanow sentenced Cannon on May 27, 2016 to 75 years in prison. Judge Chasanow ordered that 50 years of his sentence is to be served consecutive to the 60 year sentence Cannon previously received in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia for other crimes. Cannon has also been sentenced to life in prison in the Prince George’s County Circuit Court.
Tonnie Floyd, age 23, of Washington, D.C., previously pleaded guilty to robbery, and discharging a gun during the robbery and carjacking and was sentenced to 222 months in prison.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the FBI Baltimore and Washington Field Offices, the Prince George’s County and Montgomery County Police Departments, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Takoma Park Police Department and the Prince George’s County and Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Offices for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys William D. Moomau and Bryan E. Foreman, who prosecuted the case.