Javaughn Berry, Hobbs Act Robbery, Maryland 2019

Javaughn Berry, a 26-year-old man from Baltimore, Maryland, has pleaded guilty to interfering with commerce by robbery, also known as Hobbs Act Robbery.

According to court documents, Berry and a co-conspirator committed three robberies within Maryland from October 2019 to December 2019. The first robbery occurred on October 13, 2019, at a pharmacy in Baltimore. Berry and his co-conspirator wore black masks, black gloves, glasses, and yellow reflective vests. They entered the pharmacy at 8:00 a.m. and demanded access to the safe, taking $1,630.00 in cash. The victim was tied up with zip ties, and the suspects fled in the victim’s vehicle.

Cell phone tower records revealed that Berry and his co-conspirator’s phones were used in close proximity to the pharmacy around the time of the robbery. Investigators recovered Berry’s phone and found photos of him holding large amounts of cash, taken on the morning of the robbery.

The second robbery occurred on November 17, 2019, at a retail establishment in Millersville, Maryland. Berry and his co-conspirator wore masks and had black handguns. They stole $3,200.00 in cash and zip-tied the employees. One of the suspects struck a victim on the head and pulled her to the ground, causing a cut to her right ear.

Cell-site information showed Berry and his co-conspirator’s phones in the area near the retailer about two minutes after the robbery. The suspects fled the scene by stealing an employee’s vehicle. A search warrant on the co-conspirator’s phone revealed a picture of a vehicle similar to the employee’s stolen vehicle, with metadata showing the picture first appeared after the robbery.

The third robbery occurred on December 13, 2019, at a Parksville, Maryland chain restaurant. Berry and his co-conspirator entered the store wearing dark, hooded sweatshirts and masks. They stole $3,393.37 in cash and put the shift manager’s wrists and ankles in zip ties. The suspects subsequently stole the shift manager’s vehicle and fled the scene, leaving behind the stolen vehicle from the November retail robbery.

A search warrant executed on Berry’s phone revealed that his phone was in the parking lot of the restaurant in the time frame of the robbery. Berry has pleaded guilty to interfering with commerce by robbery and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The case was investigated by the FBI, Baltimore Police Department, Baltimore County Police Department, and Anne Arundel County Police Department.

Related Federal Cases