Brooklyn Man Admits to Four Armed Commercial Robberies

Baltimore, Maryland – Phillip Thomas McGowans, age 27, of Brooklyn, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to robbery.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby; Interim Commissioner Kevin Davis of the Baltimore Police Department; Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare; and Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Wes Adams.

According to his plea agreement, on July 25, 2014, McGowans pointed a handgun at an employee at the Village Liquors store in Brooklyn, Maryland and demanded money.  McGowans fled with $800 from the business. On August 11, 2014, McGowan again robbed the same liquor store, pointing a handgun at employees.  McGowan fled with $1,149, a bottle of vodka and cigarettes.

McGowan also robbed the New York Fried Chicken store on East Patapsco in Baltimore on August 19 and 30, 2014.  On both occasions, he pointed a weapon at an employee.  He fled with $200 on the first occasion and an undetermined amount on the second robbery.

McGowans and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement, McGowans will be sentenced to between 10 and 13 years in prison.  U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett scheduled sentencing for October 28, 2015, at 3:00 p.m.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, Baltimore and Anne Arundel County Police Departments and Baltimore and Anne Arundel County City State’s Attorney’s Offices for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Bonnie S. Greenberg and Michael Hanlon, who are prosecuting the case.