A federal judge on Thursday handed 23-year-old Sharif Northington an 11-year federal prison sentence after prosecutors said he took part in a string of armed robberies, an armed carjacking, and an assault on a Deputy U.S. Marshal. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander imposed 10 years for the robbery and firearms counts, then tacked on a consecutive one-year term for the courthouse assault in September 2024. The case wrapped a multi-agency investigation that keyed in on cash from a November 2022 7-Eleven robbery that happened to be loaded with a money-tracking device.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Maryland, Northington teamed up with co-defendants Devin Grimes and John Hyman in November 2022 to rob local businesses and carjack a delivery driver. Prosecutors said the trio walked into a Northeast Baltimore 7-Eleven wearing masks, one of them flashed a handgun, and they ran off with cash that included a tracking device that quietly guided law enforcement to their next moves.
How Investigators Traced The Crew
Prosecutors and local reporting say the tracker led officers to a nearby carry-out identified as Stoko's, where one co-conspirator allegedly robbed a delivery driver of his keys and the group sped off in the delivery vehicle. Aviation units from both the Baltimore Police Department and Baltimore County Police picked up the tracker's signal, and officers ultimately recovered a loaded Smith & Wesson .40, cash, and the tracking device during the arrests, as reported by Fox Baltimore.
Co-Defendants Already Serving Federal Time
Federal records show that Devin Grimes was sentenced to 10 years in December 2024 and John Hyman received a 10-year term in September 2025, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Maryland. Prosecutors credited the ATF, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore County Police Department for the multi-agency investigation that led to the three federal prosecutions.
Why Prosecutors Brought The Case
Federal prosecutors often move armed robbery and carjacking cases into federal court when investigations cross jurisdictions or involve firearms, since those charges can carry mandatory consecutive sentences tied to firearm enhancements. Coverage of similar Baltimore prosecutions and the federal Project Safe Neighborhoods program has highlighted how prosecutors have focused on gun-related violence through coordinated enforcement and charging strategies, including a recent case that could put Baltimore man away for life.
