Upper Marlboro Man Sentenced to 63 Months for Bank Robbery Spree in Maryland and D.C.

Jonathon Brown-Murphy, 44, from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, is once again in the tight grip of the federal prison system, this time for a stunning 63 months for a series of bank robberies across Maryland and Washington, D.C. The sentencing, which follows a string of attempted and successful bank thefts that occurred back in May 2022, was handed down by the U.S. District Court. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, along with officials from the FBI and Metropolitan Police Department, announced the details, noted in a Justice Department release.

With an aim to conceal his identity, Brown-Murphy donned various disguises and covered his face for each heist, his crime spree encompasses both failed and fruitful attempts at pilfering bank cashiers with threatening notes during a two-day surge of criminal energy, robbed or tried to rob six banks.

Details from court documents report a chilling scene on May 23, 2022, when Brown-Murphy, undeterred by previous unsuccessful attempts, entered a Truist bank and delivered a terrifying ultimatum via a note: "Give me the money or I will kill you." His threats proved futile in that instance, with the teller refraining from handing over any money and Brown-Murphy departing empty-handed, as per the Justice Department's account.

A succeeding note to a teller at Capital One bank in Southeast D.C., was more menacing, "Give Me The Money Don't Get Killed !!", this command, bolstered by the perception of an unseen gun, succeeded in parting the teller from the bank's funds on the same day, Brown-Murphy's luck turned sour when mere days later an employee at Wells Fargo in Maryland took decisive action—hitting the alarm, causing the robber to flee sans loot, detailed in Justice Department disclosures.

It all came crashing down when a keen-eyed witness spotted Brown-Murphy post-Wells Fargo escape, slipping into a black Cadillac, an alert that hastened his apprehension following a brief car and foot chase in which the police nabbed him, finding clothing from the robberies and reaffirming his identity as the day's focus of their chase.

Since his arrest on federal charges on August 29, 2022, Brown-Murphy, who has a history of prior convictions including those for similar bank robberies, has been behind bars. The case, led by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force, with assistance from varying police entities, was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Mayer-Dempsey. Beyond the 63-month sentence, Brown-Murphy is also slated for a three-year supervised release period.