ALEXANDRIA, VA— Dennis Earl Ledbetter II, age 26, of Prince George’s County, Md., was sentenced today to 108 months in prison, to be followed by three-year term of supervised release.  Ledbetter was found guilty of conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery and using and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence on Feb. 10, 2009. 

Dana J. Boente, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Joseph Persichini, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Liam O’Grady.
 
Ledbetter was indicted on Dec. 4, 2008, by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiring to commit armed bank robbery, armed bank robbery, and using and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.  On Jan. 23, 2009, Ledbetter pled guilty to armed bank robbery and requested a trial by the judge on the remaining charges.  The trial before Judge O’Grady began and ended on Feb. 10, 2009.   

According to court documents, on Oct. 23, 2008, Ledbetter and John Wayne Morton robbed the Commerce Bank branch located on Jefferson Davis Highway in Dumfries, Va. Before entering the bank, Morton put on a mask and Ledbetter tied a shirt around his face to disguise their identities. In the course of robbing the Commerce Bank, Morton entered the bank, brandished a hand gun and demanded money from the bank tellers. Morton obtained approximately $8,755 from the bank tellers.  While Morton was inside the bank, Ledbetter stationed himself at the bank’s front doors to keep a look out and to ensure an escape route for Morton. After the robbery, Ledbetter drove the vehicle containing Morton and the stolen funds away from the bank.

On Dec. 8, 2008, Morton pled guilty to armed bank robbery and using and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.  On May 1, 2009, United States District Judge Claude M. Hilton sentenced Morton to 91 months in prison for the armed bank robbery and firearm offenses.

This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and Prince William County. Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin L. Hatch and Aaron M. Zebley prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov.