Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced Jason Walker, age 31, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 121 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for an armed commercial robbery and for brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. 

 The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

“Jason Walker has learned a hard lesson—that gun crime leads to federal time, which has no parole, ever,” said United States Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to remove those who would commit violence from our community. Please, put down the guns and save a life—maybe even your own.”

As detailed in guilty plea, on February 21, 2018, Walker and a co-conspirator robbed a restaurant in the 2200 block of Wilkins Avenue in Baltimore.  Walker admitted that during the robbery he pointed a handgun at one of the victims, while his co-conspirator took all the money from the cash register.  In addition, Walker and his co-conspirator took the victims’ personal cell phones before fleeing the restaurt. 

After the 911 call, an officer with the Baltimore Police Department, who was canvassing the area, saw two men in an alley who matched the description provided by the victims.  The men were standing by a wall counting cash.  Officers detained the men and brought one of the victims to the location.  That person identified Walker as one of the men that had committed the robbery.  Walker was arrested and searched.  Officers recovered $272 in cash, a plastic bag full of change, blue bandanas, two cellular telephones that belonged to two of the victims of the robbery, and a receipt from the restaurant.  Officers also recovered a fully loaded revolver from the area where Walker was counting money.  Walker admitted that it was the gun he brandished during the robbery of the restaurant.

Federal charges in connection with the robbery against co-defendant Joseph Coates, age 28, of Baltimore, remain pending.  Trial is scheduled to begin on December 2, 2019.  An indictment is not a finding of guilt.  An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.  

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Goldsticker who is prosecuting the case.

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