One of three men who last year engaged in a summer stealing spree targeting 7-Eleven stores across Baltimore was recently sentenced to almost 20 years in prison.
On Sept. 6, U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles Jr. sentenced 37-year-old Gary Cordell Howard, of Baltimore, to 235 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for robbery and brandishing a gun in furtherance of robbery, according to law enforcement officials.
Howard, along with co-conspirators Monte Glascoe, age 24, and Michael Emmanuel Smith, age 28, both of Baltimore, all pleaded guilty to the charges.
According to their plea agreements, the trio conspired to rob at least seven Baltimore 7-Eleven stores from July 18 to 26, 2013. The stores were located at: 6314 Eastern Ave., 3436 Wilkens Ave., 5512 Park Heights Ave., 2500 Liberty Heights Ave., 6700 Brentwood Ave., 211 West 28th St. and 3204 Hollins Ferry Road.
As part of the conspiracy, Howard, Glascoe and Smith identified their targets; stole a getaway vehicle for use after each robbery; stole money, cigarettes and other merchandise from cash registers and employees at the stores and Glascoe brandished a firearm to intimidate the victims.
The defendants were brought down as part of a Baltimore initiative to combat violent crime and included the participation of the FBI, Baltimore Police Department, Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland.
Glascoe and Smith are scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 25 at 10 a.m. and Oct. 1 at 1 p.m., respectively.
Another trio was recently brought down for participating in another series of robberies in Baltimore. U.S. District Judge Ellen J. Hollander sentenced Omar Hance, 33, of Baltimore to 110 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for a series of commercial robberies.
According to Hance’s plea agreement, between December 2012 and February 2013, Hance and a co-conspirator Willie Vinson, robbed 14 convenience stores, including a 7-11 on West 33rd St. and a Royal Farms on West 41st St in Baltimore.
Either one of the two men used a black bb gun to commit the robberies and escaped with money and store products.
Vinson previously pleaded guilty to his role in the robberies in Baltimore County Circuit Court and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
A third man, Darrell Blackwell, 27, of Columbia, Md. was sentenced to 42 months in prison for being the get-away driver in two of the robberies.
