Date: 10-24-2018

Case Style:

Case Number: 8:17-cr-00578-TDC

Judge: Theodore D. Chuang

Court: United States District Court for the District of Maryland (Prince George's County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Timothy F. Hagan

Defendant's Attorney: Robert Bonsib

Description: Greenbelt, MD - Leader of Armed Robbery Crew who Committed a String of 10 Armed Robberies of Convenience Stores Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison

Admitted Driving the Robbers to Each Robbery, Brandishing a Gun, and Demanding Money from Store Employees at Gunpoint

U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Tyrone Jason Murphy, age 27, of Washington, D.C., to 11 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, on federal charges of robbery, and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The federal charges arose from a series of 10 armed robberies of 7-Eleven convenience stores.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare; and Interim Chief Amal Awad of the Hyattsville Police Department.

According Murphy’s plea agreement, from May 17, 2017 through June 16, 2017, Murphy conspired with Kione Anthony Banks, Leighton Cordell Williams, Banks’ brother, Khiry Delonte Banks, and others, to commit 10 armed robberies of 7-Eleven convenience stores. The defendants wore clothing to partially conceal their faces. Murphy drove the robbers to the store in each robbery. During seven of the robberies, Murphy brandished a firearm and ordered the store employees to open their cash registers at gunpoint. In the three other robberies, one or more of Murphy’s co-defendants brandished a firearm.

Specifically, Murphy admitted committing the following armed robberies:

Robberies in Gaithersburg and Derwood, Maryland, on May 17, 2017, with Kione Banks and Williams;
A robbery in Hyattsville, Maryland, on June 11, 2017, with a co-conspirator;
A robbery in Gambrills, Maryland, on June 13, with Khiry Banks and Williams; and
Two robberies on June 14, 2017, first in Kettering, Maryland, with Khiry Banks and Williams, then in Rockville, Maryland with Khiry Banks.
Also, on June 16, 2017, Murphy committed three additional robberies in Glen Burnie, Millersville, and Morningside, Maryland, with all three of his co-defendants.


In all of the June robberies, Murphy brandished a firearm. After the robbery in Morningside, Murphy drove his co-defendants onto Suitland Parkway and Prince George’s County Police officers executed a traffic stop on the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle recovered two firearms, cash, and cigarettes stolen during the robberies. Members of this group robbed a total of ten 7-Elevens throughout Maryland.

Khiry Banks, age 29, and Williams, age 32, both of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to the same federal charges of robbery, and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence in relation to their participation in the 7-Eleven robberies. Each faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for robbery and a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years, and up to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for using, carrying and brandishing a firearm. Judge Chuang has scheduled sentencing for Khiry Banks on November 5, 2018. No date has been set yet for Williams. Kione Anthony Banks, age 21, also of Washington, D.C., also pleaded guilty to the same charges and was sentenced to nine years in federal prison on October 10, 2018.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI Cross Border Task Force; the Anne Arundel, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County Police Departments; and the City of Hyattsville Police Department for their work in the investigation.

Outcome: Defendant was sentenced to 11 years' in prison.

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