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Friday, August 18, 2006

Southeast District of Columbia man found guilty by a federal jury of robbing a Citibank in Adams Morgan

Washington, D.C. - A 37-year-old Southeast District of Columbia man, Melvin George, has been convicted of robbing a Citibank in Adams Morgan in December 2005, U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Wainstein, Joseph Persichini, Jr., Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Charles H. Ramsey announced today.

George was found guilty yesterday by a federal jury in the District of Columbia of one count of Bank Robbery. The trial was conducted before the Honorable Ricardo M. Urbina, who is scheduled to sentence the defendant on November 14, 2006. George faces a statutory penalty of up to 20 years of imprisonment.

The evidence presented at trial established that on December 8, 2005, Melvin George entered a branch of the Citibank, located at 1749-1/2 Columbia Road, NW, Washington, D.C., at approximately 1 p.m. He handed the teller a note that said: "$10,000 or everyone will be shot." Although no weapon was visible, the teller handed George $2,095 and he left the bank.

George went to his sister's apartment in Southeast Washington, D.C., and she saw him counting the money. The sister was angry and alarmed that George had returned to her apartment after robbing the bank. Over the next several weeks, George's sister was instrumental in providing the police with information -- including identifying her brother as the robber in the bank's surveillance video -- and physical evidence linking George to the robbery -- including a multi-colored “kufi,” a type of hat that he wore during the robbery, and which was visible in the bank surveillance video.

In announcing the guilty verdict, U.S. Attorney Wainstein, Acting Assistant Director in Charge Persichini, and Chief Ramsey praised the efforts of Detectives Anthony Johnson, David Somach, Richard Hamilton, FBI Special Agent Timothy Pak, and FBI forensic examiners Christopher Iber, Michael Shay and Karen Korsberg. They also commended the U.S. Attorney Office staff that assisted in the successful prosecution, including Phaylyn Hunt, Latoya Wade, and Barbara Necastro, as well as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Reagan Taylor and Assistant U.S. Attorney Frederick Yette, who handled the prosecution.