BALTIMORE, M.D. — A Washington, D.C., man was sentenced Tuesday to 22 years in federal prison for his role in a series of armed robberies targeting four Maryland cell phone stores, prosecutors said.
Xavier Jones, 26, pleaded guilty to participating in the armed heists, during which he and his co-conspirators brandished firearms, threatened employees and customers, and, in one instance, used pepper spray on victims. Jones was also ordered to pay $74,141.26 in restitution and will serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
According to court documents, the robberies occurred between October and December 2020 at stores in Baltimore County, Howard County, and Prince George’s County. During the final robbery on Dec. 23, 2020, Jones and his accomplices stole 76 Apple and Samsung Galaxy devices worth $48,767 from an AT&T store in Owings Mills. They also took $322 in cash before fleeing in a stolen vehicle.
Authorities tracked the suspects using a GPS device hidden in one of the stolen phones, leading them to a residence in Catonsville, where they recovered stolen merchandise and a previously stolen vehicle.
Jones’ co-conspirators, Rico Dashiell, 26, and Donte Herring, 25, also participated in the crime spree, which included robberies at Verizon stores in College Park, Columbia, and Halethorpe. Each incident involved the use of firearms, threats against employees, and the theft of tens of thousands of dollars in mobile devices and cash.
