Fletcher M. Dorsett, Jr., 53
BALTIMORE, Md. – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell sentenced Fletcher Dorsett, age 53, of Salisbury, Maryland to 150 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a series of nine bank robberies and attempted robberies. Dorsett continued to commit robberies while on escape status from a halfway house after his release for a previous federal bank robbery conviction.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Acting Special Agent in Charge Rachel Byrd of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office. Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief Edward Jackson of the Annapolis Police Department; Interim Chief Hector Velez of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Chief Robert J. Contee, III of the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, Dorsett was previously convicted of federal bank robbery charges, sentenced to eight years in prison, and placed at a halfway house in May of 2019. On July 25, 2019, Dorsett did not return to the halfway house and was placed in escape status. Dorsett was subsequently arrested on a warrant relating to that escape on August 9, 2019, and held at Piedmont Regional Jail in Virginia until he was released on September 24, 2019.
Dorsett admitted that he robbed a bank in Baltimore on July 29, 2019, while he was on escape status. After his arrest and release on September 24, 2019, Dorsett continued to rob banks in Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Prince Georges County, and Washington, D.C., and attempted to rob two other banks. In all of these bank robberies, Dorsett used a note that threatened that he had a gun. Specifically, between September 26 and October 28, 2019, Dorsett robbed banks in Washington, D.C., and in Baltimore, Annapolis, and Nottingham, Maryland, and attempted to rob banks in Lanham, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
As Dorsett left the bank in Nottingham on October 28, 2019, an off-duty police officer who happened to be in the bank pursued and detained him until on-duty Baltimore County Police officers arrived and arrested him. Dorsett agreed to be interviewed by law enforcement and admitted to robbing the nine above-referenced banks in Maryland and Washington, DC. Dorsett also identified himself in various bank surveillance images captured during the robberies.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the FBI, and the Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Annapolis, Prince George’s County and Metropolitan Police Departments for their work in the investigation and thanked the State’s Attorneys for Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Prince George’s County, and Anne Arundel County, and the U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Judson T. Mihok, who prosecuted the federal case.
UPDATE: 11/24/2020 BALTIMORE, Md. – Fletcher M. Dorsett, Jr., age 52, pleaded guilty today to bank robbery, in connection with nine bank robberies and attempted robberies committed while on escape status from a halfway house and after his release, while he was on supervised release for a previous federal bank robbery conviction.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief Edward Jackson of the Annapolis Police Department; Interim Chief Hector Velez of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Chief Peter Newsham of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, Dorsett was previously convicted of federal bank robbery charges and sentenced to 96 months of incarceration, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In May of 2019, Dorsett was placed at a halfway house to serve the final portion of his sentence, in an effort to segue from the Bureau of Prisons to life in the community. On July 25, 2019, Dorsett did not return to the halfway house and was placed in escape status. Dorsett was subsequently arrested on a warrant relating to that escape on August 9, 2019, and held at Piedmont Regional Jail in Virginia until he was released on September 24, 2019.
Dorsett admitted that he robbed a bank in Baltimore on July 29, 2019, while he was on escape status. After his arrest and release on September 24, 2019, Dorsett continued to rob banks in Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Prince Georges County, and Washington, D.C., and attempted to rob two other banks. In all of these bank robberies, Dorsett used a note that threatened that he had a gun, and stole a total of more than $14,000.
Specifically, on July 29, 2019, while on escape status, Dorsett robbed a bank in the 5000 block of Sinclair Lane in Baltimore. Between September 26 and October 28, 2019, Dorsett robbed a bank in the unit block of Massachusetts Avenue, NW in Washington, D.C.; banks on North Calvert Street and West Baltimore Street in Baltimore; a bank on Bay Bridge Road in Annapolis; and banks on Campbell Boulevard and Honeygo Boulevard in Nottingham, Maryland. On September 25 and 26, 2019, Dorsett attempted to rob a bank in the 9300 block of Lanham Severn Road in Lanham, Maryland and a bank in the 400 block of North Capitol Street, N.W. in Washington, D.C. As Dorsett left the bank on Honeygo Boulevard in Nottingham on October 28, 2019, an off-duty police officer who happened to be in the bank pursued and detained him until on-duty Baltimore County Police Officers arrived and arrested him.
Dorsett agreed to be interviewed by law enforcement and admitted to robbing the nine above-referenced banks in Maryland and Washington, DC. Dorsett also identified himself in various bank surveillance images captured during the robberies.
Dorsett and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Dorsett will be sentenced to 150 months in federal prison. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for January 26, 2021 at 2:00 p.m.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, and the Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Annapolis, Prince George’s County and Metropolitan Police Departments for their work in the investigation and thanked the State’s Attorneys for Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Prince George’s County, and Anne Arundel County, and the U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Judson T. Mihok, who is prosecuting the federal case in Maryland.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – October 24, 2019 – Through investigation, and with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, detectives identified the suspect as Fletcher Dorsett, 51 years old. They obtained an arrest warrant for Dorsett charging him with armed robbery, robbery, first and second degree assault and theft. Dorsett is wanted in at least three additional bank robberies outside of Annapolis. Dorsett is known to frequent Annapolis and the Eastern Shore. We urge anyone with information about this incident or Dorsett’s whereabouts to contact our detectives at 410-260-3439. You can also call Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LOCKUP and submit an anonymous tip.
Submitting Anonymous Tips to Metro Crime Stoppers of Maryland
Metro Crime Stoppers of Maryland is an organization separate from the Annapolis Police Department. When you phone in or submit your Annapolis crime tip online or through the P3 Tips smartphone app Metro Crime Stoppers receives your tip anonymously and only forwards your tip information to the Annapolis Police Department. No identifying information is ever forwarded to us. Metro Crime Stoppers uses a special coding system to protect your identity, they do not use Caller ID or record telephone conversations. You could qualify for up to a $2,000 cash reward from Metro Crime Stoppers. You can submit a tip by calling 1-866-7LOCKUP (1-866-756-2587), visiting www.metrocrimestoppers.org, or through the P3 Tips smartphone app. The app can be found in the Apple or Android app stores by searching for P3 Tips.