Civilian Army Police Officer Pleads Guilty To Armed Bank Robbery

Baltimore, Maryland – Alan Kemp, age 38, of District Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to armed bank robbery and to using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. Kemp was employed as a civilian police officer by the Department of the Army at Fort Myer in Arlington, Virginia, at the time of the crime.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Gary Gardner of the Howard County Police Department.

According to the information presented by the government at today’s plea hearing, on August 26, 2016, Kemp entered a bank in the 8400 block of Baltimore National Pike in Ellicott City wearing all black, a mask over his mouth, glasses over his eyes, black gloves, and a Baltimore Ravens hat, and was carrying a loaded black and tan handgun. Kemp pointed the gun at the teller and demanded money. The teller set the cash box on the counter and backed up, as Kemp had ordered. Kemp took the money and placed it in a black trash bag. Detectives were able to track Kemp to the intersection of Thunder Hill and Twin Knolls Roads, where they saw him walk out of the woods and get into a vehicle. Police stopped the vehicle and Kemp was arrested and searched. An empty brown leather holster was found on Kemp’s waistband. In the woods nearby police found a cooler which contained the black trash bag with the money in it. Subsequent investigation identified Kemp’s fingerprints inside the cooler. The gun was found in the trunk of Kemp’s car, unsecured. The gun was loaded with 12 rounds in the magazine and a round in the chamber.

Kemp faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison for armed bank robbery, and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years, consecutive to any other sentence, and up to life in prison for using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III has scheduled sentencing for May 12, 2017, at 2:00 p.m.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI and Howard County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron S. J. Zelinsky, who is prosecuting the case.