Baltimore man convicted of armed bank robbery

A 55-year-old man was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison on Tuesday for three armed bank robberies in Baltimore.

Kevin Maurice Lawson of Baltimore, who committed the robberies in June and July 2022, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson after pleading guilty last November, according to court documents.

During the first two robberies, in the 100 block of East Baltimore Street and the 5400 block of Harford Road, Lawson showed cashiers a black pellet gun, demanded money and fled on foot, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for Maryland.

During the third robbery, in the 3200 block of West North Avenue, Lawson repeatedly struck a security guard in the head with his pellet gun and demanded money from tellers, the release states. The security guard fired shots from his gun but did not hit Lawson, who fled. According to the release, officers found his vehicle, a gray Kia, after it crashed into the exterior wall of a row house. While searching the car, officers found clothing and gloves consistent with the two previous robberies.

During the robberies, Lawson was in an inpatient rehabilitation program and serving the remainder of his federal sentence for a 2004 armed bank robbery conviction, the news release said. A public defender representing Lawson did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday evening.