Two D.C. Men Sentenced to 30 and 35 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Kidnap a Bank Employee

Planned to Take the Employee from Her Home in Maryland to Force Her to Assist Them Steal Money from the Bank in D.C. Where She Worked

GREENBELT, MD—Chief U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Jeffery Edelen, age 42; and Kendall Taylor, a/k/a “Shamsideen Salaam,” age 40, both of Washington, D.C., today to 30 and 35 years in prison, respectively, each followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit a kidnapping, in connection with the home invasion of a bank employee.

The sentences were 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; and Chief Mark A. Magaw of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

According to the evidence presented at their two-week trial, on January 13, 2011, Edelen, Taylor, and co-defendant Darrell Carter, armed with guns, masks, and gloves, broke into the Prince George’s County home of a woman and her minor child. According to trial testimony, the defendants held the woman and child at gunpoint and bound the child. According to trial testimony, the defendants planned to take the woman to the bank in Washington, D.C. where she worked to force her to help the defendants obtain money from the bank. However, the evidence showed that when the defendants first started banging on the door to get in, the child called a relative and the relative called police. The police arrived at the home before the defendants could get the victims out of the house. According to trial testimony, the defendants then turned their attention to hiding the gun and their disguises, allowing the woman and child to escape.

Darrell Jose Carter, a/k/a “Shorty,” age 43, of Fort Washington, Maryland, was also convicted of the conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 30, 2012 at 10:00 a.m.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the FBI and Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Emily Glatfelter and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerome Maiatico, who prosecuted the case.