Beltsville Man Admits Committing Seven Bank Robberies

GREENBELT, MD—Samuel Lewis, age 44, of Beltsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to bank robbery, being a felon in possession of a gun, and using a gun during a 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; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.

According to his plea agreement, on seven occasions from October 14, 2010 to September 2, 2011 Lewis walked into a bank located in Silver Spring, Potomac, or Gaithersburg Maryland, pointed a handgun at a bank teller and demanded money. Lewis struck the bank teller in the face during his first robbery, and threatened to shoot the bank tellers in the remaining six robberies. Lewis stole a total of $108,706 from the banks.

On September 16, 2011, Montgomery County Police detectives executed a search warrant for a room that Lewis was renting, and seized $58,270 and a .44 caliber revolver. Lewis had previously been convicted of a felony and was prohibited from possessing a gun.

Lewis faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the bank robbery; 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a gun; and a mandatory minimum of seven years consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed, and a maximum sentence of life in prison, for using a gun during a bank robbery. U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte scheduled sentencing for May 21, 2012, at 11:00 a.m.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, Montgomery County Police Department and Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Cheryl L. Crumpton and Special Assistant United States Attorney Ann O’Brien, who prosecuted the case.