A federal jury has convicted Tyrek Montez Arrington, 23, of Temple Hills, Maryland, on federal charges for robbing a pharmacy, discharging a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The trial began on Monday, April 5, 2021 and the jury returned its verdict on April 7, 2021, after deliberating for a total of two hours.
The conviction was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Interim Chief Hector Velez of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to evidence presented at the three-day trial, on October 15, 2019, Arrington entered a drug store in Clinton, Maryland wearing a surgical mask and black latex gloves.
Armed with a handgun, Arrington walked to the pharmacy area, entered the pharmacist booth, and pointing the gun at the pharmacist, demanded oxycodone from a safe. Arrington then demanded the pharmacist to open the cash register. Arrington fired one round into the ceiling then took the cash the register from the register. Witnesses testified that Arrington attempted to flee with the cash drawer taken from the register.
Two law enforcement officers encountered Arrington in the store as he was attempting to flee. One officer saw Arrington with the cash drawer in his hand and ordered Arrington to the ground. Arrington dropped the cash drawer and the handgun and tried to evade the first officer, but ran into the second officer and was arrested.
According to evidence presented at trial, law enforcement collected a live round and a spent shell casing from behind the counter and recovered the handgun that Arrington dropped. The gun, a .22-caliber handgun was loaded with six rounds of .22-caliber ammunition.
Arrington faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for robbery; a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm; and a mandatory minimum of 10 years, consecutive to any other sentence, and up to life in prison for using, carrying, brandishing and discharging a firearm in a crime of violence. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for Arrington on July 13, 2021 at 2:00 p.m.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dwight Draughon and William D. Moomau, who prosecuted the case.
