Frederick Man Sentenced To 15 Years In Prison For Three Armed Store Robberies

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus sentenced Steven Ray Williams, age 43, of Frederick, Maryland, today to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for three armed robberies and for brandishing a gun during a crime of violence.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Acting Special Agent in Charge William P. McMullan of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Chief Alan Goldberg of the Takoma Park Police Department.

According to Williams’ plea agreement, on December 10, 2011 Williams and a co-conspirator robbed a store in the 15000 block of Frederick Road in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Williams and the co-conspirator accosted a store employee as he was opening the store, pointing a handgun at the employee and ordering the employee to open the safe. After the employee opened the safe, Williams and the co-conspirator wrapped the employee’s arms and ankles with duct tape and fled the store, stealing $6,000 in store proceeds, as well as the employee’s cell phone and wallet. On March 7, 2012, Williams and another co-conspirator robbed the same store, accosting two store employees as they were opening the store. Williams and the co-conspirator duct taped one of the employee’s legs and wrists and forced the other store employee at gunpoint to open the safe. They then duct taped that employee’s wrists, and fled the store, stealing $2,700 in store proceeds, as well as the cell phone of one of the employees.

On September 16, 2012, Williams and the two co-conspirators robbed a store located in the 6300 block of New Hampshire Avenue in Takoma Park, Maryland. One of the co-conspirators waited outside the store while Williams and the other co-conspirator entered the store. After the last customer had left the store, the co-conspirator locked the front door and Williams took out a gun, pointed it at a store employee and ordered the employee to take him to the store office, where the manager was counting money. After entering the office, Williams threw the employee to the floor and the co-conspirator tied his hands and feet using flex cuffs. They were unable to tie up the manager, so Williams held the gun to the manager’s neck, while Williams and the co-conspirator collected the money the manager had been counting. While the robbery was taking place, an 81 year old customer managed to open the front door and entered the store. Williams and the co-conspirator tied the customer’s hands with flex cuffs and dragged the customer to the back of the store. Williams and the co-conspirator ran out the back door with a bag filled with approximately $800 in store proceeds, but as they attempted to flee, they left the money outside the store.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the ATF, Montgomery County Police Department and Takoma Park Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leah J. Bressack, Mara Zusman Greenberg and Kelly O. Hayes, who prosecuted the case.