Source: United States Department of Justice News
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced David Banks, age 29, of Baltimore, Maryland, yesterday to 25 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for a carjacking and armed robbery conspiracy, including six armed robberies and a carjacking, during which three people were shot and two were killed.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Acting Chief Dennis J. Delp of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, Banks personally participated in a conspiracy to commit a series of carjackings and armed robberies. In each of the robberies and carjackings a member of the conspiracy brandished a gun to threaten and intimidate the victims. Two victims were shot and killed during a carjacking and robbery, respectively. The conspirators would often use the stolen vehicles to commit additional criminal acts and they shared the proceeds of their exploits, with certain conspirators responsible for pawning any items recovered from the victims and the stolen vehicles.
Banks admitted that he personally participated in a carjacking on June 12, 2019, in which a victim was shot and killed, and that he intended to cause death or serious bodily injury to the victim. Banks also participated in five armed robberies and an attempted robbery committed from July 7, 2019 to August 12, 2019. As detailed in the plea agreement, a victim was shot during the attempted robbery on July 24, 2019, and another victim was shot and killed during an armed robbery committed four days later.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia C. McLane and Brandon K. Moore, who prosecuted 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.
# # #