Today, Zebedee Alexander Johnson, a 35-year-old resident of Clinton, Maryland, entered a guilty plea for the armed robbery of a convenience store in Clinton. The announcement was made by Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, along with Acting Special Agent in Charge Amanda M. Koldjeski from the FBI's Baltimore Field Office and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to details from the plea agreement, on April 29, 2022, Johnson and four accomplices executed an armed robbery at a convenience store in Clinton. During the incident, they brandished a firearm at an employee and instructed him to lie down while they used a circular saw to open the ATM, seizing approximately $35,020 in cash. At that time, Johnson was under federal supervised release following a 2018 conviction related to drug distribution. He acknowledged breaching his release conditions by engaging in this criminal activity.
Johnson could face a minimum mandatory sentence of five years up to life imprisonment in federal prison for this offense and may also receive up to two additional years for violating his supervised release terms. Sentencing is determined by considering various statutory factors alongside U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and is scheduled before U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang on September 4 at 9:30 a.m.
This case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and community groups. The Department launched an enhanced strategy on May 26, 2021, focusing on trust-building within communities and prioritizing strategic enforcement actions.
U.S. Attorney Hayes expressed appreciation for the investigative efforts by the FBI and PGPD and acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Rosenthal and William Moomau for their roles in prosecuting the case.
For further details about initiatives led by the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office or available community resources, visit justice.gov/usao-md or justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
