FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
December 3, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ARMED BANK ROBBER INDICTED - ALLEGEDLY
SHOT A TELLER DURING THE ROBBERY
Baltimore, Maryland - A federal grand jury indicted Anirudh Lakhan Sukhu, age 42, of Silver Spring, Maryland, on charges of conspiracy to commit and committing an armed bank robbery, and use of a firearm during a crime of violence, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.
“If you use a gun to rob a bank, you face a life sentence in federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein.
According to the three count indictment and other court documents, Sukhu and his co-conspirators met on November 20, 2008 to plan the robbery of a Bank of America branch in Clarksville, Maryland. That same morning, Sukhu and the other robbers rode to the bank in Sukhu’s pick-up truck and entered the bank, announcing the robbery. The indictment alleges that during the robbery Sukhu and the other robbers threatened the tellers and Sukhu shot and wounded a teller. The robbers took more than $23,000 and fled from the bank in Sukhu’s pick-up truck. A witness called 911 and gave a description of the vehicle. Law enforcement officers chased the robbers, who eventually abandoned the truck in Montgomery County. One of the robbers fired at police and was killed. Sukhu and another conspirator escaped. Law enforcement recovered an identification card in Sukhu’s name hanging from the rear-view mirror of the pick-up truck. Sukhu was later arrested at his home.
Sukhu faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for the conspiracy; 25 years in prison for armed bank robbery; and a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, for using a firearm during a crime of violence. Sukhu remains in federal custody and no court appearance has been scheduled.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Howard County Police Department, the Montgomery County Police Department, and the Maryland State Police for their investigative work. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Yasser and Sandra Wilkinson, who are prosecuting the case.