Eugene Emanuel Hardy, 31, of Waldorf
UPDATE 7/30/2022: Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Thursday, July 28, 2022, Charles County Circuit Court Judge H. James West sentenced Eugene Emanuel Hardy, 32, of Waldorf, to 18 years in prison for 4 counts of Armed Robbery and First-Degree Assault.
On May 23, 2022, Hardy entered a guilty plea to the aforementioned charges in Charles County Circuit Court.
On September 7, 2021, officers responded to a 7-11 convenience store located in the 1000 block of St. Ignatius Drive in Waldorf for the report of a commercial armed robbery. Upon arrival, officers made contact with a store employee, who reported that a suspect approached him, brandished a black handgun, and demanded him to give money from the store’s register. In fear for his life, the employee complied with the suspect’s demand.
An investigation revealed that the suspect, later determined to be Hardy, committed a string of armed robberies, including a prior robbery at the same 7-11 convenience store on August 19, 2021. Additionally, he committed two armed robberies at a 7-11 convenience store located in the 300 block of Smallwood Drive in Waldorf on August 27, 2021, and August 23, 2021. During the armed robbery on August 23rd, Hardy pointed a handgun at a customer coming into the store, ordering him to leave.
Surveillance footage of each robbery was reviewed, revealing Hardy’s physical description. Hardy’s vehicle was also observed on surveillance video in the area of 7-11 on September 7th.
During a search and seizure warrant conducted at Hardy’s residence and vehicle, officers located the handgun, clothing, and mask used during the armed robberies.
UPDATE 9/21/2021: On Monday, August 23, 2021, at approximately 4:16 a.m., police responded to the 7-Eleven located at 325 Smallwood Drive in Waldorf, for the reported armed robbery.
Officers arrived on the scene and made contact with the victim who stated a black male wearing a black long sleeved shirt, a red ski mask, and dark pants entered the business armed with a handgun.
The suspect pointed the firearm directly at the victim/employee and directed him to the cash register where the suspect stated “Put all that shit in a bag”
The victim stated he was in fear for his life and complied with the gunman’s request. The victim stated they put the cash from two cash register tills into a plastic bag.
As the victim was in the process of emptying the cash register tills into a plastic bag, a customer pulled into a parking space in front of the store and when the suspect noticed this, he walked to the front entrance, opened the doorway and pointed the gun at the victim and ordered him to leave. The second victim stated he was in fear for his life and fled the area, the second victim described the firearm as a semi-automatic style handgun.
After obtaining the money, the suspect fled towards Carrington Center parking lot.
An audit of the store was conducted, which confirmed the suspect stole $413.00 from two registers. The entire incident was also caught on store surveillance systems.
During the investigation, and review of the camera footage. Detectives developed Eugene Emanuel Hardy, of the 3000 block of Gallery Place in Waldorf, as a suspect based on his matching physical description, body build, height, weight, and length/style of dreadlocks.
On Wednesday, September 8, 2021, a search and seizure warrant was prepared for Hardy’s residence, vehicle and person.
The same day, police responded to Hardy’s residence and served the search warrant and discovered a two-tone 9mm CZ p-10 semi automatic handgun, clothing that Hardy used during the robbery, and additionally when detectives searched Hardy’s 2017 Nissan Altima, they discovered the rest of the clothing Hardy wore during the robbery.
Hardy was transported to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office District 3 station to be interviewed by detectives, Hardy stated he understood his rights and agreed to talk about the incident.
During the interview, Eugene Emanuel Hardy, 31, of Waldorf, admitted to be the person who committed the robbery on August 23, 2021.
Hardy remains under investigation for other armed robberies, and remains incarcerated on a no-bond status.
9/9/2021: On September 8, 2021, Eugene Emanuel Hardy, 31, of Waldorf, was arrested in connection with four armed robberies of convenience stores in Charles County.
In each case, Hardy entered a store, displayed a handgun, demanded money and fled.
As a result of the investigation, detectives assigned to the Robbery Unit and investigators from the Agency’s Homeland Security Section identified the suspect.
Detectives from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office apprehended Hardy and then served a search warrant at his residence and recovered evidence linking Hardy to the robberies.
Hardy was charged with armed robbery, robbery, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and theft. He is being held without bond at the Charles County Detention Center.
Eugene Emanuel Hardy, 31, of Waldorf
