Baltimore Bank Robber Exiled to 10 Years in Prison

BALTIMORE—U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Joseph Michael Dixon, age 34, of Baltimore, today to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiring to commit bank robbery and being a felon in possession of a gun and ammunition. Judge Bennett ordered that seven years of the 10-year sentence be served concurrently with the sentence Dixon is currently serving for a federal bank robbery conviction in North Carolina and the remaining three years to be served consecutively. Judge Bennett also entered an order requiring Dixon to pay $57,850 in restitution to the victim banks.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department; Acting Special Agent in Charge Timothy P. Groh of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.

According to his plea agreement, on August 2, 2010, Dixon entered the Regal Bank located at 10123 Reistertown Road in Owings Mills, Maryland, and demanded money. The teller removed $8,850 from the teller drawer. Dixon took the money and fled.

On September 9, 2010, Dixon and co-defendant Lutrell Williams drove to the Farmers and Merchants Bank located at 15226 Hanover Pike, Upperco, Maryland. Williams entered the bank and demanded money. The teller removed $49,000 from a vault and Williams fled with the money. Witnesses saw Williams in a vehicle driven by Dixon at a high rate of speed down a highway. The defendants later abandoned the vehicle and drove away in another car.

Further investigation identified the defendants as the robbers in the second robbery. On September 17, 2010, officers executed a search warrant at Dixon’s residence. In addition to heroin, they seized a pistol and ammunition.

Lutrell Thomas Williams, age 36, of Baltimore, previously pleaded guilty to his participation in the second robbery and was sentenced to a total of 78 months in prison for bank robbery and for violating his supervised release on a previous federal drug conviction. Judge Bennett also entered an order requiring Williams to pay $50,571 in restitution.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the Baltimore Police Department, FBI, and Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in this investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Judson T. Mihok, who prosecuted the case.