Violent Armed Bank Robber Exiled To 20 Years In Prison

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Maurice Colbert, age 60, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 20 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for armed robbery, forced accompaniment and using a gun during the robbery. Judge Blake also ordered Colbert to pay restitution of $13,940.

The sentence 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; Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger; Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Gerido of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; and Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department.

According to evidence presented at his four day trial, on November 7, 2011, Colbert and another man stormed into the 1st Mariner Bank located at 176 Carroll Island Road in Middle River, Maryland, both armed with handguns. Colbert’s accomplice jumped on the counter next to the teller station. One of the bank employees, an assistant manager, collapsed on the floor in fear. Colbert ordered a bank employee to open a vault and ATM vaults. The employee told him she could not open the vaults because she only had the keys, not the code.

Colbert then opened three teller drawers and removed all of the money, including three dye packs as well as bait money. At times, Colbert pressed the gun into the employee’s back, and held her arm as he walked her around the bank with the gun in his other hand.

Meanwhile, the accomplice forced three tellers, the assistant manager and two customers, one of whom was elderly, into a small room used by customers to review in privacy the contents of safety deposit boxes. While packing them tightly into the room, the accomplice grabbed a teller by the neck, and grabbed another teller’s hair while placing his gun to the back of her head. He then tied most of them up tightly with zip ties. Just prior to closing the door, one of the robbers threw a liquid on the wall, the smell of which burned their noses and eyes. They fled with $31,153, although $17,213 was later recovered from the bank’s parking lot.

Shortly thereafter, the police were called and responded. An employee from a restaurant next door told a police officer that he had seen two men inside a vehicle with a sedan service company written on its side, parked in the lot by the bank. An FBI agent went to the location of the sedan service company in Baltimore and learned from the business owners that Colbert had used the vehicle that day. After patrolling the immediate area for a short while, the agent returned to the business and saw the vehicle parked outside the business location. Law enforcement saw red stains on the carpet of the vehicle, consistent with the red dye used in bank dye packs.

Colbert was found inside the sedan service company’s building and was taken to police headquarters. The sedan service owner showed police the money bills Colbert had given her, which were also stained red. Dye stains used by banks were also found on Colbert’s clothing and money in his pocket.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, Baltimore County Police Department, ATF and Baltimore County State’s Attorney=s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Judson T. Mihok and Gregory R. Bockin, who prosecuted the case.