Man Convicted in Hagerstown Armed Bank Robberies
Fired a Gun at a Police Vehicle, and Held a Mother and her Daughter Hostage

BALTIMORE, MD—A federal jury convicted David Wilbert Shanton, Sr., age 54, of Winchester, Virginia, today on armed bank robbery and gun charges arising from the use of a gun to rob and attempt to rob two banks in Hagerstown, Maryland, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

According to testimony at his four day trial, Shanton robbed the M&T Bank at 930 Dual Highway, Hagerstown, Maryland on October 22, 2007 of $33,888. He fired a shotgun at a police vehicle responding to the bank robbery, stole a handgun and held a mother and her daughter hostage at gunpoint for several hours while he eluded the police. Evidence presented at trial also showed that he used the stolen gun during an attempted robbery of the Susquehanna Bank at 1326 Salem Avenue, Hagerstown, on November 24, 2007.

Shanton faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison on each of two counts of armed bank robbery; a mandatory minimum of 35 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison for two counts of using a gun during a crime of violence; and 10 years in prison on each of two counts of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for June 19, 2009.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hagerstown Police Department, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Washington County State’s Attorney Charles P. Strong, Jr. and his office for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of the case. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorneys George J. Hazel and Cheryl L. Crumpton, who are prosecuting the case.