Baltimore, Maryland - A grand jury indicted David Wilbert Shanton, Sr., age 53, of Winchester, Virginia, on armed bank robbery and gun charges arising from the use of a gun to rob and attempt to rob two banks in Hagerstown, Maryland, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

According to the eight count indictment, Shanton robbed the M&T Bank at 930 Dual Highway, Hagerstown, Maryland on October 22, 2007 of $33,888. He allegedly fired a shotgun at a police officer responding to the bank robbery, and held a mother and her daughter hostage at gunpoint for several hours while he eluded the police.

The indictment further alleges that he used a gun during an attempted robbery of the Susquehanna Bank at 1326 Salem Avenue, Hagerstown, on November 24, 2007.

Shanton faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison on each of the two counts for conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery; 25 years in prison on each of the two counts for armed bank robbery; a mandatory minimum of 35 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison on each of the two counts for use of a gun during a crime of violence; and 10 years in prison on each of the two counts for possession of a gun by a convicted felon.

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 Hagerstown Police Department and Washington County State’s Attorney Charles P. Strong, Jr. and his office for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of the case. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorney Steven Levin, who is prosecuting the case.