Source: Office of United States Attorneys
Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Lydia K. Griggsby sentenced William David Hill, aka Old Man, aka Tank, 68, of Washington, D.C., to more than 33 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. This sentence is in connection with two armed commercial robberies — and the discharging of a firearm during one of the robberies — in November 2016.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.
On July 3, 2019, following a seven-day trial, a federal jury convicted Hill and co-defendant Ronnell Francis Lewis of the robberies. According to the evidence presented at trial, on November 22, 2016, Lewis, Hill, and a co-conspirator robbed an auto repair business in Clinton, Maryland.
Specifically, the evidence showed that the robbers entered the business brandishing firearms and ordered two employees to get on the ground. The defendants took money from the victims’ pockets and ordered them into the front office. They then bound and gagged one victim with zip ties and duct tape, respectively. The second victim fought. As a result, the robbers shot and ultimately paralyzed the second victim, before fleeing in a vehicle that they stole earlier in the day.
As detailed at trial, on November 26, 2016, the defendants also robbed a barbershop in Seat Pleasant, Maryland. According to the trial testimony, the two defendants entered the business, ordered everyone on the ground, and then robbed them.
During the robbery, the defendants threatened the victims with violence. According to the evidence, the robbers put the cash in a dark, single-strap duffle bag and fled in a stolen minivan.
Police saw the minivan at a traffic light and attempted to halt the vehicle, but the driver refused to stop, fleeing into Washington, D.C. Law enforcement eventually stopped Lewis and the driver and seized their vehicle. The third person, later identified as Hill, escaped but authorities eventually apprehended him.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation and thanked the Prince George’s County Police Department, Seat Pleasant Police Department, and the Metropolitan Police Department for their assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan S. McKoy and Elizabeth Wright who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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