FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
October 24, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LOTHIAN MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO USING A GUN AND FAKE BOMB IN THE ATTEMPTED ROBBERY OF AN UPPER MARLBORO SUB SHOP
Greenbelt, Maryland - Thomas Anthony Hubbard, age 52, of Lothian, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to the attempted armed robbery of an Upper Marlboro sub and pizza shop.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Mark Chait of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; and Chief Mark A. Magaw of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to the plea agreement, on February 25, 2010, Hubbard attempted to rob a sub and pizza store in the 5700 block of Crain Highway in Upper Marlboro. Hubbard wore a mask and carried a semi-automatic handgun, as well as a section of steel pipe that Hubbard had capped at both ends and wired to a cell phone to look like a pipe bomb. Hubbard brandished the gun at the store manager and threatened to detonate the bomb unless the manager and the store owner, who had come out from the back office after hearing the commotion, filled a plastic bag with all the money in the restaurant.
While the owner was opening the safe to comply with Hubbard’s demands, he noticed that Hubbard was looking away from him and had the gun down. The store owner jumped on Hubbard and began hitting him in an effort to disarm him. Hubbard dropped the gun and attempted to escape while the owner and store manager tried to restrain him. Hubbard was subsequently arrested when Prince George’s County Police arrived at the store.
Hubbard faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the attempted robbery and a mandatory seven years and up to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, for possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus has scheduled sentencing for February 13, 2012 at noon.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the ATF and Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in this investigation and thanked Assistant United States Attorney Adam K. Ake, who is prosecuting the case.