UPDATE: On June 6, 2024, Brian Arnell Hall, 35 of Washington D.C., was charged with three counts of Making a False Statement to a Law Enforcement Officer
On June 4, 2024, Hall contacted 911 to report a robbery at gunpoint. Dispatch records indicate that Hall spoke a dispatcher, who noted Hall’s apparent frustration and limited information. Hall described the perpetrator as a black male wearing dark clothing, driving a dark car.
Deputy Cress was dispatched and arrived on the scene at 10:32 am. During the initial investigation, Hall claimed he was working on the gas pumps at Safeway, where he is employed by OWL Services and that his vehicle was parked at the pump with the sliding door open.
According to Hall, while he was standing next to the gas pump shut-off valve smoking a cigarette, an assailant approached him from behind in a black car, brandishing a handgun. Hall stated he complied with the robber’s demands, throwing his wallet through the open window of the car before the suspect fled. Hall reported the stolen items as a black wallet containing his DC driver’s license, a Bank of America bank card, 30 dollars and a business (OWL) credit card used for work purposes.
Police attempted to interview Hall to gather more information, but he refused to cooperate, expressing anger. He stated that he only wanted to file a report because his company credit card was taken, a detail he had not mentioned to the initial deputies.
Despite police efforts to conduct a videotaped interview at the Sheriff’s Office, Hall continued to refuse.
Deputies reviewed surveillance footage from Safeway, which showed Hall’s movements around the time of the alleged robbery. The footage revealed Hall’s activities from his arrival at 08:53:04 hours to his entry into Safeway at 10:08:00. Contrary to his report, Hall did not appear to perform any maintenance on the gas pump He was observed wandering around the area, including walking to Advanced Auto, returning to search his van multiple times, and leisurely walking around the Safeway parking lot.
The footage showed no evidence of any interaction with another individual, no black vehicle approaching, nor any indication of a robbery taking place. It’s worth noting that Hall did not immediately call 911 after the alleged incident.
Instead, he contacted his job and his wife before informing Safeway staff. He made the 911 call over 20 minutes after the purported robbery occurred.
On June 4, 2024, police visited Advanced Auto at 10346 Southern Maryland Blvd, in Dunkirk, where we interviewed the staff. They recalled Brian’s visit and purchase but noted that he didn’t appear upset and didn’t mention any robbery. Brian used a Visa card to buy a 5-piece hex nut, totaling $5.08.
On June 6, 2024, Hall disclosed the real sequence of events: the purported incident was concocted due to apprehension about disclosing the loss of his company credit card to his employer. Hall confessed and provided new circumstances: he claimed he had been robbed earlier that morning in the District of Columbia. Hall was unable to pinpoint the exact location, he said the incident occurring at a gas station along either Maryland Avenue or Rhode Island Avenue.
6/11/2024: On June 4, 2024, around 10:30 a.m., the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office received a report of an alleged armed robbery at the Safeway Gas Pumps located at 10276 Southern MD Blvd in Dunkirk.
The report was filed by Brian Arnell Hall, 35 of Washington D.C., who claimed that an unknown suspect had approached him with a weapon and demanded his wallet.
Following a thorough investigation, the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office has determined that the report was false. Evidence gathered from surveillance footage, witness interviews, and other investigative methods revealed inconsistencies in Mr. Hall’s account of the events. The investigation concluded that no armed robbery took place and Hall fabricated the incident. Hall is facing charges of False Statement to a Law Enforcement Officer.
Sheriff Ricky Cox stated, “We take all reports of criminal activity very seriously and allocate significant resources to ensure the safety of our community. False reports not only waste valuable police resources but also create unnecessary fear and anxiety among residents. We are committed to holding individuals accountable for providing false information to law enforcement.”
The Calvert County Sheriff’s Office urges the public to report suspicious activities or crimes accurately and responsibly. False reporting is a criminal offense and will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Anyone with additional information regarding this incident or any other crime is encouraged to contact the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office at 410-535-2800 or via email at [email protected].
