Mount Airy Man Admits To Robbing Four Gas Stations And Stealing A Car

Baltimore, Maryland – Joshua Payne, age 21, of Mount Airy, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to four counts of robbery and one count of using a firearm during a robbery.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Carroll County Sherriff Ken Tregoning; Frederick County Sheriff Charles A. "Chuck" Jenkins; Major Gary Gardner, Chief of the Howard County Police Department; Carroll County State’s Attorney Jerry Barnes; Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith; and Howard County State’s Attorney Dario Broccolino.

According to his plea agreement, from November 27 to December 1, 2013, Payne pointed a handgun - which he stole from his brother - at the cashiers of the following gas stations in Maryland: Shell gas station, 649 Lakeview Drive, Mount Airy; High’s gas station, 6700 Sykesville Road, Eldersburg; and BP gas station, 15882 Frederick Road, Lisbon. He stole hundreds of dollars from the cash registers.

On December 6, Payne returned to the Shell gas station on Lakeview Drive in Mount Airy, and threatened the cashier with a long kitchen knife, taking approximately $690 from the register.

Payne also admits that on November 29, 2013, he pointed a gun at a driver of a car and stole the car, along with the owner’s two cell phones.

Payne and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Payne will be sentenced to 13 and half years in prison. U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles, Jr. scheduled his sentencing for October 22 , 2014 at 1:00 p.m.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, the Carroll and Frederick County Sheriff’s Offices, Howard County Police Department, and the Carroll, Frederick and Howard County State’s Attorney=s Offices for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Scott A. Lemmon and Bonnie S. Greenberg, who are prosecuting the case.