Baltimore Career Offender Exiled To Over 17 Years In Prison For Bank Robbery Conspiracy

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles, Jr., sentenced Master Giddins, age 26, of Baltimore, today to 210 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for bank robbery and for conspiring to commit three bank robberies. Judge Quarles also ordered Giddins to pay restitution of $10,099. Giddins was convicted by a federal jury on October 3, 2014.  Judge Quarles found that Giddins was a career offender based on previous convictions for first degree assault, a firearms violation, and a federal arson conviction.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Commissioner Anthony W. Batts of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby.

According to the evidence presented at Giddins’ four day trial, on September 25, 2013, Giddins robbed the M&T Bank on West Baltimore Street in Baltimore.  Giddins was wearing women’s clothing and a long black wig. Giddins handed a note to the teller stating that he had a bomb and demanded money.  Giddins told the teller to put the money in a black and white polka dot cosmetic bag which Giddins gave the teller.  The teller put cash and a GPS tracking device in the cosmetic bag and handed it to Giddins.  Giddins fled the bank but discarded the tracking device out the car window.  A woman co-conspirator drove Giddins’ car away from the bank.

On September 26, 2013, Giddins provided his car to two women co-conspirators in order to rob another bank.  The women robbed the 1st Mariner Bank in Owings Mills, stealing $3,100.  The women wrote a note similar to the one used by Giddins the day before; the same woman co-conspirator drove Giddins’ car; and the woman who went into the bank wore the same long black wig and used the same black and white polka dot cosmetic bag as Giddins.  According to trial testimony, the proceeds of the robbery were split between Giddins and the two women.

On September 27, 2013, Giddins again provided his car to the two co-conspirators to commit a bank robbery at the Baltimore County Savings Bank located in the 500 Block of Eastern Avenue in Baltimore County.  The two co-conspirators were joined by a third woman.  The same woman drove Giddins’ car and the other two women entered the bank, wearing wigs.  The two women each gave a teller a note claiming that they had a bomb and demanded money.  The tellers provided each of the robbers with cash and a dye pack.  The two robbers got into the car driven by the third co-conspirator.  One of the dye packs exploded when the robbers left the bank.  The other dye pack exploded in the car and the women threw it out of the car, along with the wigs and some other items, which were later recovered.  Police stopped the car, recovered evidence from the car and the scene, and arrested the women.   

Giddins went to Baltimore County Police headquarters to get his car back.  When he arrived, Giddins was questioned by police about the September 25th robbery.  Giddins told the police that he was at his state probation officer’s office and then went to work.  Witnesses testified that Giddins did not meet his probation officer on September 25, 2013, nor did he work that day.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, Baltimore County Police Department, Baltimore Police Department and Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys A. David Copperthite and Debra L. Dwyer, who prosecuted the case.