Robber Exiled to Over 10 Years in Prison

Robbed a Grocery/Deli and Robbed the Same Towson Liquor Store Twice

BALTIMORE—U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Edward Sample, age 27, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 123 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for three armed robberies.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III; Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department; Baltimore City State’s Attorney Gregg L. Bernstein; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.

According to Sample’s plea agreement, on October 20, 2009, Sample robbed a liquor store in Towson, while he possessed a loaded revolver. According to the plea, after pretending to be interested in purchasing a can of malt liquor, Sample demanded that the clerk hand over the money from the store’s register. After emptying the store’s two registers, the clerk gave Sample the money and laid down on the floor behind the counter. Sample then left with the money. On January 5, 2010, Sample robbed a grocery/deli in Baltimore with two co-conspirators, one of whom possessed a Walther .32 caliber pistol. On January 19, 2010, Sample and co-conspirator Aaron Davis robbed a liquor store in Towson. During the robbery, Davis grabbed the store clerk, placed a the same Walther .32 caliber pistol used in the previous robbery, to the clerk’s head and demanded money. Davis threatened to kill the clerk if he did not give Davis the money in the store register. The clerk emptied the register, gave the money to Davis, then laid down on the floor behind the counter. A second clerk entered the store while the robbery was in progress. Sample began shouting at the second clerk to get in the back of the store and lie down on the ground. The second clerk emptied another cash register, gave the money to Sample and laid down on the floor. Davis and Sample left the store with the money.

During the robberies of the liquor store, Sample was seen on the store’s security camera wearing a distinctive maroon sweatshirt and his fingerprint was found on the can of malt liquor he left on the counter after the first robbery. During the robbery of the grocery/deli, Sample was seen on the store’s security camera wearing a blue and white striped polo shirt and green jacket. At the time of his arrest, Sample was wearing the same maroon sweatshirt he wore in the liquor store robberies, and a search of his home recovered the blue and white polo shirt, green jacket and the Walther .32 caliber pistol used in the last two robberies.

Aaron Davis, age 26, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to the second robbery of the liquor store where Davis pointed a gun at and threatened to kill a store clerk. Davis was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, Baltimore Police Department, Baltimore County Police Department, and the Baltimore City and Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Offices for their work in this investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin M. Block, who prosecuted the case.