Greenbelt, Maryland – Derrick Rondell Battle, age 43, of Bladensburg, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to armed commercial robbery, using and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and being a felon in possession of a firearm, related to three robberies he committed in September 2015.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Henry P. Stawinski of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, Battle committed three armed robberies between September 21 and September 25, 2015. In each robbery Battle wore a mask and was armed with a black semi-automatic handgun, which he brandished at store employees.
Specifically, Battle robbed: a pharmacy in the 6400 block of Landover Road in Landover, Maryland on September 21, 2015, stealing $200; a discount store in the 6500 block of Annapolis Road in Landover Hills, Maryland on September 24, 2015, stealing $1,200; and a gas station in the 5800 block of Annapolis Road in Cheverly, Maryland, stealing $200.
As Battle fled the gas station, a strong wind blew the stolen money out of the bag and Battle stopped to collect the money. Responding police officers saw Battle in a nearby ravine and he was apprehended after a brief chase. Police officers recovered cash from Battle and within feet of where he was apprehended recovered the gun used in the robbery, additional cash and the jacket Battle wore during the robbery.
The gun was a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun loaded with six .45 caliber rounds of ammunition. The total cash recovered was approximately $1,200.
Battle was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition as a result of previous felony convictions.
Battle and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement Battle will be sentenced to 198 months in prison. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for January 19, 2017 at 2:00 p.m.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI and Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Menaka Kalaskar and Bryan E. Foreman, who are prosecuting the case.