Home Washington Press Releases 2011 District Man Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Prison for Series of Bank Robberies
Info
This is archived material from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) website. It may contain outdated information and links may no longer function.

District Man Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Prison for Series of Bank Robberies
Threatened to Kill a Teller in One of the Three Heists

U.S. Attorney’s Office March 01, 2011
  • District of Columbia (202) 252-6933

WASHINGTON—Derrick Benson, 33, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to more than eight years in prison on charges stemming from three bank robberies which took place in September 2008, February 2010, and March 2010, in Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Benson pled guilty in December 2010, to two counts of bank robbery and aiding and abetting and one count of bank robbery. He was sentenced by the Honorable Judge John D. Bates in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The judge ordered that Benson be placed on three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. Benson also was ordered to pay $71,734 in restitution.

According to the government’s evidence, on the morning of September 18, 2008, Benson and another individual robbed a PNC Bank in the 600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE. Benson stood as the lookout at the front of the bank as the accomplice approached a bank employee and handed over a note demanding money. Benson and the other individual stole $64,080 from the bank before fleeing in a waiting vehicle driven by a third individual.

On the morning of February 2, 2010, Benson and an accomplice robbed the Bank of Georgetown, in the 1300 block of I Street NW. This time, Benson entered the bank and demanded money from a teller who he threatened to kill. Benson stole $7,097 from the bank before fleeing in a waiting vehicle driven by the accomplice.

On the morning of March 23, 2010, Benson returned to the same Bank of Georgetown, demanded money from a teller, and stole $557, the government’s evidence showed.

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director McJunkin, and Chief Lanier commended the exceptional investigative work of the special agents from the FBI’s Washington Field Office who worked on the case, as well as MPD Detective Elmer Baylor and the entire FBI/MPD Violent Crimes Task Force. They also praised the work of the FBI physical scientist/forensic examiner who assisted in the investigation. Lastly, they praised the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Wiegand, who assisted with asset forfeiture issues, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys David B. Kent and Frederick W. Yette, who are prosecuting this matter.

This content has been reproduced from its original source.