U.S. District Judge Lydia K. Griggsby has sentenced William David Hill, also known as "Old Man" and "Tank," to over 33 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. This decision is related to two armed commercial robberies in November 2016, during which a firearm was discharged.
The sentencing was announced by Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, alongside Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI's Baltimore Field Office.
Hill and his co-defendant Ronnell Francis Lewis were convicted on July 3, 2019, after a seven-day trial. The evidence presented revealed that on November 22, 2016, Hill, Lewis, and another accomplice robbed an auto repair business in Clinton, Maryland. They entered with firearms and ordered employees to the ground before stealing money from them. One victim was bound and gagged while another was shot and paralyzed during a struggle.
A few days later, on November 26, 2016, the defendants robbed a barbershop in Seat Pleasant, Maryland. They threatened violence while robbing patrons and fled with cash in a duffle bag using a stolen minivan.
Police pursued the minivan but the driver refused to stop until reaching Washington D.C., where law enforcement apprehended Lewis and another individual while Hill initially escaped but was later captured.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative focused on reducing violent crime through collaboration among law enforcement agencies and community partners. The program emphasizes targeting violent offenders while supporting prevention and reentry programs for sustained crime reduction.
U.S. Attorney Hayes praised the investigative efforts of the FBI and thanked local police departments for their support. She also acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan S. McKoy and Elizabeth Wright for prosecuting the case.
Further details about the initiatives undertaken by the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-md or https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
