USAO: Man pleads guilty to string of armed bank robberies across Virginia, Maryland

GREENBELT, Md. (DC News Now) — An Upper Marlboro man pleaded guilty Friday for his involvement in a string of armed robberies across Maryland and Virginia, according to the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the District of Maryland.

The USAO states that Wesley Phillip Wilson, Jr., 44, faces up to life in prison for several bank robbery offenses and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

According to court documents, from Nov. 19, 2020, through Dec. 7, 2020, Wilson robbed four banks and attempted to rob another.

On November 19, Wilson robbed $1,570 from a Prince George’s County bank by going to a teller station and handing a teller a note that stated, “Don’t Be a Hero. I have a gun. No Dye packs tracers or devices in the bag. Do Not push alarm until I leave! If my scanner goes off someone will die. Only Large Bills. Hurry up!! Stay calm 20,000 Now.”

The USAO states the teller first only gave Wilson $500, but proceeded to give him an additional $1,000 after he demanded more money.

On November 23, Wilson approached the teller at an Anne Arundel County bank, handing them a note that said, “Don’t Panic. Put all the money in the bag. Don’t hit the panic alarm until I leave or people will die. I have a gun…No dye packs or devices. Your on the clock. Don’t Be A Hero!!”

Court documents say the teller complied with Wilson’s demand and gave him $2,709 before he ran away.

On November 25, Wilson tried to rob a Woodbridge bank by throwing an envelope into a teller’s plastic shield containing a note that read, “I have a gun don’t Panic Do Not push the panic alarm until I leave and No one dies. Give me ALL the money from the drawer.”

Wilson then pulled a black handgun out of his bag, and the teller handed him a withdrawal slip before attempting to press the alarm button under the desk. Wilson ran from the scene without stealing any money.

Days later, on November 28, Wilson entered a Montgomery County, Maryland bank with a shopping bag and handed a note that said, “I have a gun. Do not panic. Give me all the money in the drawer.”

Wilson left with $3,000, which he placed in the shopping bag.

In his final robbery, on December 7, Wilson pointed a gun towards a teller at a Manassas bank, asking for everything in the top drawer before demanding more money from a second employee.

Wilson continued pointing the gun at the two, stating they had “eight seconds” to comply. The two employees gave him $6,135 from the drawers that contained a GPS tracker before he fled the scene.

According to the USAO, the GPS tracker traced the cash to a Manassas shopping center, where Wilson was taken into custody for the Prince William County bank robbery. During his arrest, Wilson confessed to the robbery, and piles of stolen cash were found in his car as well as additional stolen money in his pocket.

During an interview with law enforcement, Wilson confessed to the four bank robberies and an attempted bank robbery. A second search of Wilson’s car was conducted, where the Polymer80 9mm handgun and ammunition used during the robberies were seized.

The case was investigated through the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative.