Previously Convicted Baltimore Bank Robber Sentenced to 70 Months in Federal Prison for Committing Two Bank Robberies at the Same Bank Within One Week

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Lloyd Phillip Simon, age 71, of Baltimore, Maryland to 70 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for two 2019 bank robberies.  Judge Blake also ordered Simon to pay restitution in the amount of $2,034.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, on August 13, 2019, Simon entered a building in  Baltimore, Maryland that had a bank located in the atrium area of the building.  As Simon approached the bank, he reached into a donation bin located in the atrium and took one of the donations placed there—a black backpack.  Simon placed his black jacket and the backpack on a bench outside the bank.  Simon then entered the bank, approached Bank Teller 1, who was in the process of counting money from the bank’s night drop, and demanded money, stating, “Give me that money. I have a gun. No dye packs.”  Fearing for her safety, Bank Teller 1 gave Simon all of the money that she had been counting.  Simon immediately left the bank, grabbing the black jacket and backpack.  As he quickly walked away, Simon put the black jacket on to cover his white shirt.  As Simon exited the facility, he took off his hat and glasses, allowing surveillance cameras to capture his face.  

On August 19, 2019 Simon robbed the same bank.  A video surveillance camera captured Simon entering the facility, wearing large glasses and a baseball cap to partially obscure his face.  Simon went through a back corridor and did not immediately enter the bank.  Instead, Simon sat on a bench outside of the bank and waited until the bank security guard left for a break.  Simon then put on his glasses and entered the bank.  Bank Teller 1 immediately recognized Simon from the previous robbery.  She told Simon to wait in line, and then went to press the panic button.  Simon approached Bank Teller 2, and stated “Give me all of your money, I want the big stuff!”  Fearing for her safety, Bank Teller 2 gave him money, and Simon stated, “Hurry up, I’m not joking!”  Bank Teller 2 then gave Simon more money and slipped a hidden GPS tracking device into a wad of cash.  As Simon left the bank, he can be seen on surveillance video fanning through the money that he took from Bank Teller 2.  Simon found the hidden GPS tracking device, removed it from the wad of cash and dropped the tracker on the floor of the bank as he left.

On August 28, 2019, investigators obtained and executed a search warrant at Simon’s apartment.  Law enforcement recovered clothes that matched the clothing worn by Simon during the robberies, as well as a black backpack similar to the backpack Simon took from the donation bin. In addition, investigators recovered a single round of .357 ammunition in Simon’s kitchen cabinet. 

On January 29, 2013, Simon was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison, after being convicted of bank robbery.                    

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Duey and Mary W. Setzer, who are prosecuting the case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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