Westport Man Career Offender Exiled to 15 Years in Prison for the Home Invasion Robbery of a Suspected Drug Dealer

BALTIMORE—U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Robert Jones a/k/a Seattle, age 24, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 15 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for armed robbery in connection with the home invasion robbery of a suspected drug dealer in the Westport area of Baltimore. Judge Bennett enhanced Jones’ sentence upon finding that he is a career offender, based on two prior felony drug trafficking convictions in Baltimore City Circuit Court.

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 City State’s Attorney Gregg L. Bernstein; and Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III.

According to Jones’ plea agreement, on April 17, 2010, he and two conspirators broke into a home in the Westport area of Baltimore in order to steal the drugs and cash they believed were stored in the home by a local drug dealer. Prior to the robbery Jones obtained a gun which he gave to one of his conspirators to use in the robbery. After unsuccessfully attempting to enter the home through the kitchen entrance, one of the conspirators gained entry through the front window and let Jones and the other conspirator into the house through the front door. Inside the home, the robbers found a woman in the upstairs bedroom. While one of the conspirators held a gun on the woman, Jones demanded that she tell them where the drugs and money were kept. The victim claimed not to know. Jones told the conspirators to take the woman downstairs, where one of the conspirators kept watch on her. Jones then told the other conspirator to go back upstairs and look for the drugs. The conspirator found a baby in the bedroom. Jones ordered the woman to get the baby and bring it downstairs, while Jones and his co-conspirator continued searching for drugs and money. Jones repeatedly asked the woman where the drugs were and when her boyfriend would return. When the woman stated that her boyfriend might be home soon, Jones ordered his co-conspirators to wait while Jones left to return a vehicle to his girlfriend. While the conspirators were downstairs with the woman and the baby, police arrived and shined a bright light through the front window. The conspirators fled upstairs, dropping the gun in the bedroom before they both jumped out of the bedroom window. The conspirators were arrested and the gun was recovered. The investigation showed that the robbers had stolen $250 in cash from the woman’s purse.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in this investigation and thanked Assistant United States Attorney John F. Purcell, who prosecuted the case.