Greenbelt, MD – A Waldorf man who carried out a violent robbery spree across multiple Maryland counties while wielding a pistol-grip shotgun has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison, officials announced Wednesday.
U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Daniel Michael Harris, Sr., 44, for committing four armed robberies and brandishing a firearm during crimes of violence. The case was prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes with assistance from the FBI Baltimore Field Office and police agencies in Prince George’s, Charles, and Montgomery counties.
Court documents show Harris and co-conspirators carried out the robberies between March and April 2023. On March 23 and March 28, Harris hit two convenience stores in Prince George’s County, stealing cash and cigarettes while pointing a shotgun at clerks. Days later, on April 5, he robbed a Charles County store, holding an employee at gunpoint and pinning a customer against the wall while his accomplices emptied the register. On April 6, Harris struck again in Montgomery County, taking cash along with an employee’s purse and phone.
Investigators linked Harris to the crimes after Prince George’s County police stopped a vehicle used in two of the robberies. Although the suspects fled, DNA recovered from a bottle inside the car matched Harris. A later search of his storage unit turned up the same shotgun used in the robberies, along with clothing he wore during the crimes.
Law enforcement leaders credited interagency cooperation for securing Harris’s conviction. “This sentence removes a violent offender from our communities,” said officials, underscoring the importance of DNA evidence and coordinated police work.
The man who terrorized store clerks at gunpoint will now spend more than a decade behind federal bars.
