Interstate Bank Robbers Plead Guilty

RICHMOND, VA—Malik Rahmel Dillard, age 26, of Atlanta, Georgia; and Sylvester Fred Mullins, age 35, of McDonough, Georgia pled guilty today before United States District Judge Henry E. Hudson to their roles in a series of bank robberies.  Dillard pled guilty to conspiracy to obstruct, delay, and affect commerce by robbery and two counts of bank robbery.  He is facing up to 60 years in prison and a $750,000 fine.  Mullins pled guilty to the conspiracy charge and one count of bank robbery.  He is facing up to 40 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.  As part of their plea agreements, both men agreed to pay full restitution for each of the robberies committed by them in the ongoing conspiracy.  Sentencing for Dillard is scheduled for May 15, 2009, at 9:45 a.m., and Mullins is scheduled for May 15, 2009, at 9:30 a.m.  Dana J. Boente, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jennifer Smith Love, Special Agent-In-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Sheriff Howard Smith, Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office announced the pleas.

According to the documents filed in connection with the guilty pleas, the defendants admitted to their respective roles in a string of armed robberies that began on May 5, 2008, and continued through July 21, 2008, at various banks located in Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, and Tennessee.  Dillard admitted that he was the common participant in each of the robberies as the scheme progressed, with others, such as Mullins, joining him at various times to commit different robberies.  Although no firearms were used in these robberies, both men admitted to committing each robbery through threats of force, violence, and fear of injury to each victim bank’s employees.  Dillard and Mullins both stipulated to their joint roles in the following robberies, which resulted in actual losses of $37,122.00 to the victim banks:

• May 8, 2008 – Dillard and Mullins robbed the PNC Bank, located at 5436 Jefferson Davis Highway, Fredericksburg, Virginia and stole approximately $3,066.00.
• May 15, 2008 –  Dillard and Mullins robbed the SunTrust Bank, located at 118 Small Pine Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina and stole approximately $8,454.00.
• May 28, 2008 – Dillard and Mullins robbed the SunTrust Bank, located at 9617 Holly Point Drive, Huntersville, North Carolina and stole approximately $7,884.00.
• June 3, 2008 – Dillard, Mullins, and co-defendant Zarqurous Lequis Sanders robbed the SunTrust Bank, located at 7001 Lee Highway, Chattanooga, Tennessee and stole approximately $5,728.00.
• July 3, 2008 – Dillard, Mullins, Sanders, and another person robbed the First Citizens Bank, located at 4801 Capital Boulevard, Raleigh, North Carolina and stole approximately $11,990.00.

Dillard also confessed to his role in the following additional robberies, which resulted in additional actual losses of $160,649.00 to the victim banks:

• May 5, 2008 – Dillard and another person robbed the Suntrust Bank, located at 760 W. Peachtree Street, Atlanta, Georgia and stole approximately $1,999.00.
• May 5, 2008 – Dillard and another person robbed the BB&T Bank, located at 991 Eagles Landing Parkway, Stockbridge, Georgia and stole approximately $5,680.00..
• May 5, 2008 – Dillard and another person attempted to rob the Georgia Federal Credit Union, located at 2695 Panola Road, Lithonia, Georgia.
• June 6, 2008 – Dillard, Sanders, and another person robbed the SunTrust Bank, located at 950 North Harrison Avenue, Cary, North Carolina and stole approximately $18,979.00.
• June 10, 2008 – Dillard, Sanders, and another person robbed the M & F Bank, located at 101 Riverchase Parkway, Hoover, Alabama and stole approximately $25,600.00.
• June 13, 2008 – Dillard, Sanders, and another person robbed the SunTrust Bank, located at 4030 Glenside Drive, Richmond, Virginia and stole approximately $30,996.00.
• June 24, 2008 – Dillard, Sanders, and another person robbed the First Citizens Bank, located at 8541 Concord Mills Boulevard, Concord, North Carolina and stole approximately $20,200.00.
• July 10, 2008 – Dillard, Sanders, and another person robbed the National City Bank, located at 8306 Cincinnati Dayton Road, West Chester, Ohio and stole approximately $10,313.00.
• July 10, 2008 – Dillard, Sanders, and another person robbed the PNC Bank, located at 939 Hempstead Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio and stole approximately $27,536.00.
• July 21, 2008 – Dillard and another person robbed the PNC Bank, located at 1327 Riverside Parkway, Belcamp, Maryland, and stole approximately $11,216.00.
• July 21, 2008 – Dillard and another person robbed the PNC Bank, located at 505 Thornall Street, Edison, New Jersey, and stole approximately $8,130.00.

As part of their plea agreements with the United States, both Dillard and Mullins agreed that all of the robberies in which they participated should be considered “relevant conduct” for calculating their sentences, meaning that defendant will be punished for his role in stealing money from the banks within and outside Virginia.  Dillard agreed to a total loss and restitution amount of $197,771.00.  Mullins agreed to a total loss and restitution amount of $37,122.00.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorney Michael Gill is prosecuting the case for the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.