AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885

OCTOBER 9, 2007

BALTIMORE MAN EXILED TO 20 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON ON ROBBERY AND GUN CHARGES

Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge William M. Nickerson sentenced Thomas Walker, age 25, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 20 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release for robbery and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

According to the plea agreement, on December 8, 2005, Baltimore City Police officers responded to a call for an armed robbery of an employee of Top of the Line, a business located in Baltimore. The employee was selling clothes from the business out of his van in the 1600 block of Lafayette Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland. At 1:00 p.m., Walker approached the employee with a Mossberg, Model 500A, 12 gauge shotgun and demanded money. The employee provided the money and a co-conspirator was ordered by Walker to remove clothing and other merchandise from the employee’s van. Walker retreated to a Jeep Cherokee which he had stolen earlier in the day at gun point. He was arrested by law enforcement a short time later, after they stopped the stolen vehicle.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked Baltimore City State’s Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy and Assistant State’s Attorney Misty Henline, the Baltimore City Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorney Debra L. Dwyer, who prosecuted the case.