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APRIL 21, 2006

ARMED BANK ROBBER SENTENCED TO 27 YEARS

While a Fugitive, Baltimore Man Had Been Featured on America’s Most Wanted

BALTIMORE, Maryland - Kendall Charles Alexander, Sr., age 41, of Baltimore, Maryland was sentenced today to 27 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release for armed bank robbery, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. U.S. District Judge Catharine C. Blake also ordered Alexander to pay restitution of $212,098.

According to the statement of facts presented at his February 3, 2006 guilty plea, on August 10, 2005, Kendall Charles Alexander, Sr. and his son, Kendall Charles Alexander, Jr., age 22, of Baltimore robbed the Wachovia Bank at 1726 East Northern Parkway in Baltimore. Alexander, Sr. was armed with an assault weapon, which he fired during the course of the robbery. The men stole approximately $3,627.

The two men exited the bank and drove away with Earl Anthony Mills, Jr., age 18, of Baltimore, who later claimed to have been carjacked. Eventually, the two robbers exited the vehicle, taking the bag of money with them. Mills, the driver, returned to the area near the bank and falsely notified the police that he had been carjacked.

A fingerprint analysis conducted on Mills’ vehicle revealed the presence of a fingerprint on the exterior back passenger door directly behind the driver's door which matched that of Alexander, Jr. and a fingerprint on the roof of the vehicle above the driver’s door which matched that of Alexander, Sr.

Alexander, Jr. was arrested on September 1, 2005, and confirmed that he and his father had robbed the Wachovia Bank. Additionally, Alexander, Jr. told law enforcement officials that the same person had driven them to and from the bank and stated that the driver said he would claim that he had been carjacked when questioned about the incident.

On September 2, 2005, law enforcement officials examined Mills’ cell phone records which reflected 18 calls made on August 10, 2005 before and after the bank robbery, from Mills’ cell phone to a number used by Alexander, Sr.

On September 17, 2005, Kendall Charles Alexander, Sr. returned to the same Wachovia Bank, and brandished a revolver to a bank employee and demanded money. Alexander, Sr. took a total of $221,651 from the employees at the bank.

Alexander, Sr. fled to North Carolina. After being featured on America’s Most Wanted, and concerned that he would be apprehended, Alexander, Sr. returned to Maryland, staying at a hotel in Baltimore. On October 6, 2005, Alexander, Sr. was arrested shortly after departing his hotel.

Mills pled guilty to being an accessory after the fact (related to the armed bank robbery) on February 1, 2006 and was sentenced today to three years probation, with 6 months being served on home detention with electronic monitoring. Judge Blake also ordered Mills to perform 75 hours of community service.

Co-defendant Kendall Alexander, Jr. pled guilty on November 18, 2005, to possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and was sentenced on March 24, 2006 to ten years in prison.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation Bank Robbery Task Force for its investigative work. The FBI Task Force is made up of detectives from the Baltimore City Police Department, Baltimore County Police Department and Special Agents of the FBI. Mr. Rosenstein praised Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Levin, who prosecuted the case.