Security News: Four Baltimore Area Men Facing Federal Indictment for Three Kidnappings and Related Charges

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned an indictment late yesterday charging four Baltimore area men with federal charges for: kidnapping and robbery conspiracies; kidnapping; carjacking; using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; and attempted robberies of businesses.  The following are charged in today’s indictment:

            Dennis Allen Hairston, age 32, of Windsor Mill, Maryland;
            Donte Davon Stanley, age 31, of Rosedale, Maryland;
            Davonne Tramont Dorsey, age 28, of Gwynn Oak, Maryland; and
            Franklin Jay Smith, age 32, of Catonsville, Maryland.

Dorsey, Stanley, and Smith are in custody on related state charges and are expected to have initial appearances in U.S. District Court on May 2, 2022.  Hairston is in federal custody in Pennsylvania on unrelated charges.  His initial appearance has not been scheduled.

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler; and Harford County State’s Attorney Albert J. Peisinger, Jr.

According to the 12-count indictment, from May 3, 2021 through August 26, 2021, the defendants planned and organized the kidnapping of three victims, J.H. and two employees of check cashing businesses, victims A.T. and A.K.  The defendants also allegedly planned and organized the carjacking of A.T. and J.H.  The indictment alleges that the crimes were committed with the goal of robbing the check cashing businesses where victims A.T. and A.K. each worked and to steal cash and other items of value from J.H.  The defendants allegedly posed as police officers, using police vests, badges, and a law enforcement-type light bar, to stop the victims and their vehicles, and according to the indictment, brandished firearms and a blow torch during and in relation to the kidnappings.  The indictment alleges that after the defendants removed the victims from their vehicles, they bound and blindfolded each victim and put them into the defendants’ vehicle.  With respect to A.K. and J.H. the indictment alleges that after they were carjacked, the defendants stole the victims’ vehicles and had someone follow them in the victim’s vehicle. 

As detailed in the indictment, on May 5 to May 6, 2021, the defendants followed victim A.T. from the check cashing business where she worked and, posing as law enforcement officers, used the law enforcement-type light bar to pull over A.T.’s vehicle.  Wearing police vests and badges, the defendants allegedly brandished firearms to remove A.T. from her vehicle, handcuffed her, placed her into the rear of one of their vehicles, blindfolded her, and stole her vehicle.  While driving with victim A.T., Hairston, Stanley, Dorsey, Smith, and others allegedly burned victim A.T. with the blow torch in an attempt to get information from A.T. in order to access the check cashing business where she worked, with the intent to remove all the cash from the business.

On May 15 to 16, 2021, the indictment alleges that the defendants and others approached victim J.H. in his vehicle in Edgewood, Maryland, and again used a law enforcement-type light bar to pull over J.H.  Wearing police vests and badges, the defendants allegedly brandished firearms to kidnap victim J.H., placed him into the rear of one of their vehicles, duct-taped his eyes and mouth, and stole his vehicle.  Hairston, Stanley, Dorsey, Smith and others drove J.H. in one vehicle and allegedly burned victim J.H. with a blow torch to obtain cash and other items from him. 

Further, the indictment alleges that on August 2 to August 3, 2021, Hairston, Stanley and Dorsey approached victim A.K. as she left the check cashing business where she worked.  The indictment alleges that, as with the previous victims, Hairston, Stanley, Dorsey, and others, wearing police vests and badges, brandished firearms to kidnap victim A.K. and placed her into the rear of one of their vehicles equipped with law enforcement-type lights, and blindfolded her.  While driving with victim A.K., Hairston, Stanley and Dorsey allegedly used the firearms to threaten A.K. to gain access to the check cashing business where she worked, with the intent to steal all the cash from the business.

If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of life in prison for the kidnapping conspiracy and for each count of kidnapping; a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for the robbery conspiracy and for each count of attempted robbery; a maximum of 25 years in federal prison for each count of carjacking; and a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and up to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for each count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

An indictment is not a finding of guilt.  An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings. 

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.  PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, and the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Budlow and Abigail E. Ticse, who are prosecuting the case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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