Rodney Levon Davis, Armed Robbery, Maryland 2014

GREENBELT, Md. – In a bizarre incident, a man donned an ‘Iron Man’ mask and robbed a fast food restaurant in Hyattsville, Maryland, leaving employees shaken. The defendant, Rodney Levon Davis, 47, of Upper Marlboro, was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison for the armed robbery.

The incident occurred on December 24, 2014 at a fast food restaurant on Landover Road in Hyattsville. Davis, wearing a hooded jacket and the ‘Iron Man’ mask, brandished a revolver at an employee, who stated that he did not have a key to the safe and that the manager was not present. Davis then shoved the revolver into the victim’s back and threatened to shoot the victim if they didn’t comply with his demands.

After hiding behind a brick wall, Davis waited for the manager to return to the restaurant. Once the manager arrived, Davis used the revolver to enter the restaurant and directed the employees into the manager’s office. Davis demanded that the manager open the safe, from which he stole $2,095. While the employees were in the manager’s office, Davis discharged the revolver, sprayed lighter fluid on the wall and floor, and ignited it.

Employees rushed out of the office to the front of the restaurant, where Davis removed additional money from the cash registers and fled. The manager chased after Davis, who fired at least two shots, striking the side of the restaurant. Davis got into his vehicle and led police on a high-speed chase before finally stopping and being apprehended.

During the investigation, police seized the ‘Iron Man’ mask, a bag containing $2,095, a revolver with three spent cartridges and three live rounds, and bottles of lighter fluid. Approximately $73 stolen from the restaurant was not recovered. Davis later admitted that he robbed the restaurant because he was upset that his employment had been terminated.

U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang handed down the sentence, which includes three years of supervised release. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas M. Sullivan and Menaka S. Kalaskar. The FBI, Prince George’s County Police Department, and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office were commended for their work in the investigation and prosecution.

The U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Rod J. Rosenstein, thanked the agencies involved in the case. The incident serves as a reminder that crime can happen anywhere, and the consequences can be severe. Davis’s sentence is a testament to the determination of law enforcement agencies in bringing perpetrators to justice.

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