They will each serve at least seven years in a federal prison.
Greenbelt, Md. (KM) Three Hagerstown residents will be spending at least seven years each in prison for a bank robbery earlier this year. The US Attorney’s Office for Maryland says Donald Marcel Rivers,Jr., 30, was sentenced to 14 years in a federal penitentiary; Ashley Nicole Collier, 31, who was Rivers’ girlfriend, was given seven-and-a-half years behind bars; and Timothy Mclain, 29, was sentenced to seven years in prison. Collier and Mclaine were sentenced on Monday; Rivers was sentenced last week.
Federal prosecutors say the three pleaded guilty to robbing a bank in the 1300 block of Salem Avenue in Hagerstown on January 9th, 2018. Citing their plea agreements, the US Attorney’s Office says the three arrived at the bank in a Jeep Cherokee. Rivers and Mclaine, both wearing black face masks, entered the business while Collier remained in the Jeep. Rivers was armed with a .loaded handgun,. and pointed it at bank employees. The two men demanded money from the tellers. After they loaded the cash into Mclaine’s duffel bag, the two ran outside and jumped into the Jeep which sped away. The two stole $6,567 from the bank, according to federal prosecutors.
Police spotted the Jeep along a road which runs along the Maryland and Pennsylvania border. As they tried to stop it, Rivers jumped out of the passenger side doorway, and ran into a corn field. The Jeep sped off, but officers were able to get take River into custody.
Shortly afterward, police saw the Jeep again in a church parking lot. They also saw Mclaine and Collier walking along the road and took them both into custody. Mclaine had $2,660 and a black mask in his pocket. Collier had a loaded handgun and $1,070 in her purse. Federal prosecutors say the pistol was the one used in the robbery, and was reported stolen from West Virginia.
While executing a search warrant on the Jeep, which was owned by Rivers’ mother. police found clothing worn by the robbers, a black ski mask, black duffel bag, and plastic cards belonging to both Rivers and Collier, including a shooting range badge. The US Attorney’s Office says Rivers had a previous felony conviction, and was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. .
Rivers’ mother, Dianne Rivers, pleaded guilty to felony obstruction of justice after she destroyed a cell phone used by her son during the robbery. She was sentenced on November 9th, 2018 to three-months in prison.
By Kevin McManus