Armed Bank Robber Pleads Guilty

Threatened a Bank Employee with a Long Knife and Drove Away in the Employee's Car with the Stolen $50,580

GREENBELT, MD—Elijah Leroy Neal, age 35, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to armed bank robbery.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Acting Chief Mark Magaw of the Prince George's County Police Department; and Chief Michael Taborn of the Metro Transit Police Department.

According to Neal's plea agreement, on January 30, 2006 at around 5:00 a.m., Neal broke into the First Liberty National Bank at

3030 Queens Chapel Road

in Hyattsville, Maryland through a side window. Neal hid behind a desk until a bank employee arrived at around 8:00 a.m. While brandishing a knife with a blade approximately 10 to 12 inches long, Neal grabbed the bank employee and ordered her to open the bank vault. When the bank employee replied that she could not open the vault, Neal threatened to stab her and told her that he was infected with the AIDS virus. When the bank employee again said she was unable to open the vault, Neal ordered her to open a lockbox. The bank employee complied and Neal took $50,580 from the lockbox. Neal then forced the bank employee to the floor and bound her arms behind her back with duct tape. Neal stole the bank employee's keys and drove away from the bank in her car with the stolen money.

Neal faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus scheduled sentencing for June 2, 2011 at 9:00 a.m.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, the Prince George's County Police Department, and the Metro Transit Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Robert K. Hur, who is prosecuting the case.