Previously Convicted Bank Robber Sentenced To More Than 12 ½ Years In Federal Prision For Multiple Bank Robberies Committed While On Federal Supervised Release

JULY 24, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                             Contact BAILEY DRUMM

www.justice.gov/usao/md                                                                           at (410) 209-4854

Baltimore, Maryland – Roger Irwin Harp, age 50, of Baltimore, Maryland was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz. Harp pleaded guilty to bank robbery and to violating conditions of supervised release.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Commissioner Kevin Davis of the Baltimore Police Department.

In August 2002, Harp pleaded guilty in federal court in Baltimore, Maryland to charges related to a string of twelve bank robberies in 2001. He was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release, which began in May 2014. According to his plea agreement, between June 2014 and October 2015, Harp committed multiple violations of supervised release.

While under conditions of supervision pending a hearing in federal court on his supervised release violations, Harp absconded from supervision and committed eight bank robberies and attempted bank robberies in Baltimore throughout the month of March 2016. For example, on March 16, 2016, Harp walked into a bank and handed a note to a teller stating, “Give me all the money NOW!! Before I blow your head OFF!!” The teller removed $2,620 from a cash drawer and handed it to Harp, who then walked out of the bank. In total, Harp robbed three different banks of $10,750 on different dates in March 2016.

After three attempted robberies of other banks on March 21, 2016, Harp was apprehended by Baltimore Police Department officers and eventually admitted his involvement in the eight robberies.

Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the FBI and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Maddox, who prosecuted the case.