Wesley Phillip Wilson, Jr., 44, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, has pleaded guilty to a series of bank robberies and firearms offenses that took place in Maryland and Virginia. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, Wilson admitted to robbing four banks and attempting to rob another between November 19 and December 7, 2020.
Authorities stated that Wilson began his crime spree on November 19 by robbing a bank in Prince George’s County, Maryland. He handed a note to a teller demanding money and threatening violence if alarms were triggered. The teller initially gave him $500 but provided an additional $1,070 after further demands.
On November 23, Wilson robbed another bank in Anne Arundel County by passing a similar threatening note to the teller. He left with $2,709. Two days later in Woodbridge, Virginia, he attempted another robbery by handing over a note and brandishing a handgun. The teller did not comply fully and pressed an alarm button; Wilson fled without obtaining any funds.
Wilson continued on November 28 by robbing a Montgomery County bank using another note that threatened the use of a gun. He escaped with $3,000 placed into his shopping bag.
The final robbery occurred on December 7 at a Manassas, Virginia bank where Wilson pointed a handgun at two employees while demanding cash. One employee placed money along with a GPS tracker into envelopes as instructed before Wilson fled with approximately $6,135.
Law enforcement used the GPS tracker from the last robbery to locate Wilson at a shopping center in Manassas shortly after the incident. Officers found stolen cash both inside his vehicle and on his person. During questioning following his arrest, Wilson confessed to all four completed robberies as well as the attempted robbery in Virginia. A search of his vehicle revealed more stolen money along with the Polymer80 9mm handgun used during these crimes.
Wilson faces up to 20 years in federal prison for bank robbery charges and up to 25 years for armed or attempted armed bank robbery charges. For using or brandishing a firearm during these offenses he faces an additional mandatory minimum sentence of five years—up to life—to run consecutively.
"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," according to the press release issued by federal prosecutors involved in this case.
"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."
U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes commended multiple law enforcement agencies including local police departments from Prince George’s County; Anne Arundel County; Montgomery County; Manassas City; Prince William County; Fairfax County; as well as FBI field offices for their work investigating this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dawn Williams and Timothy F. Hagan Jr., along with Assistant U.S. Attorney John Blanchard from the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting this matter.
Further information about resources offered by the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office can be found at https://www.justice.gov/usao-md or https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
