Derrick Rondell Battle, Armed Commercial Robberies, MD 2015

Derrick Rondell Battle, 43, of Bladensburg, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to a violent crime spree that terrorized three businesses across Prince George’s County in September 2015. Battle admitted to pulling off three armed commercial robberies within five days, wielding a loaded .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun, and stealing a total of $1,600 from helpless employees.

The robberies unfolded between September 21 and September 25. On September 21, Battle stormed a pharmacy in the 6400 block of Landover Road in Landover, Maryland, wearing a mask and brandishing the firearm. He escaped with $200. Two days later, on September 24, he hit a discount store in the 6500 block of Annapolis Road in Landover Hills, again masked and armed, taking $1,200. His final heist came on September 25 at a gas station in the 5800 block of Annapolis Road in Cheverly, Maryland, where he stole another $200—all while pointing the same black semi-automatic at workers.

But Battle’s luck ran out when a gust of wind scattered the stolen cash as he fled the gas station. Surveillance and responding officers watched as he scrambled into a nearby ravine to gather the blowing bills. Police caught up with him after a brief chase, finding $1,200 in cash on or near his person. Just feet away, they recovered the loaded handgun—six .45 caliber rounds chambered—and the jacket he wore during the crimes.

Battle was already a prohibited person when he carried those weapons. As a convicted felon, he was barred from possessing firearms or ammunition—adding the charge of felon in possession to his growing list of federal offenses. His criminal record sealed his fate under federal sentencing guidelines, where brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence triggers mandatory minimums and severe enhancements.

Now, Battle faces the full weight of the federal system. He and prosecutors have agreed to a 198-month prison sentence under the terms of his plea deal. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang will deliver the final judgment on January 19, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. If the court accepts the agreement, Battle will spend more than 16 years behind bars.

“These were brazen, armed assaults on local businesses that endangered employees and shattered community safety,” said United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein, who credited the FBI and Prince George’s County Police Department for their swift investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Menaka Kalaskar and Bryan E. Foreman are prosecuting the case, ensuring Battle answers for every masked moment of his crime spree.