Serial Bank Robber Sentenced in Maryland to 14 Years in Federal Prison

 Committed Three Bank Robberies in Maryland and Delaware While on Supervised Release for Previous Federal Bank Robbery Convictions

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett today sentenced Duane Burton, age 44, of Baltimore, to 14 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for three bank robberies committed in Maryland and Delaware, as well as for violating his supervised release for two previous federal bank robbery convictions. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Lisa D. Myers of the Howard County Police Department; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Colonel Melissa Zebley, Superintendent of the Delaware State Police. 

According to Burton’s plea agreement, between December 2018 and February 2019, he robbed one bank in Delaware and two banks in Maryland.  At the time of the robberies, Burton was on supervised release for two previous bank robbery convictions. Burton admitted that he robbed a bank in Newark, Delaware, on December 26, 2018; a bank in in Elkridge, Maryland on February 8, 2019; and a bank in Baltimore on February 14, 2019.

As detailed in his plea agreement, in each robbery Burton approached the teller and announced the robbery, demanding money and “no dye packs.”  The victim tellers each complied with Burton’s demands and Burton stole a total of more than $7,000.  In the Baltimore robbery, the victim teller included a GPS tracker in the cash, which Burton located and discarded before he fled the bank.

On February 27, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Burton’s residence and recovered shoes that matched the shoes worn by the robber in the surveillance video from the February robberies.  Burton was arrested.                  

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the FBI, the Howard County Police Department, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Delaware State Police for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Riley, who prosecuted the case.