Maryland man sentenced to 6.5 years in prison for series of DC robberies

WASHINGTON ( DC News Now ) — A Hyattsville man was sentenced to over six years in prison for 10 robberies in D.C. that happened over a five-month period.

The D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) said in a news release Friday that 31-year-old Roberto McBean will serve 78 months in prison for robberies that happened in Georgetown and Glover Park between August 2023 and January 2024.

McBean admitted to all 10 robberies and pleaded guilty to four counts of interference with interstate commerce by robbery on April 26.

According to court documents, McBean first targeted a Sunoco gas station on the 2400 block of Wisconsin Ave. on Aug. 22, 2023. The USAO said that he used a “small hammer” in the robbery and told the store clerk, “Don’t touch anything, don’t say anything, this is hard for me.”

The USAO said that McBean was also responsible for the following incidents:

• Aug. 31, 2023 — McBean used a knife to rob the Georgetown Wine and Spirits in the 2700 block of P St.
• Sept. 18, 2023 — McBean took out a knife at the Universal Wine and Spirits in the 2000 block of Florida Ave., but he ran without taking anything after a customer saw what was happening.
• Nov. 23, 2023 — On Thanksgiving day, McBean used a black firearm to rob the cash register at the Glover Park Market on 37th Street.
• Dec. 8, 2023 — He robbed the Washington Avenue Sunoco gas station while armed with a gun.
• Dec. 16, 2023 — McBean returned to the Glover Park Market and stole cash, lottery tickets and a plastic bag. The USAO said that the same employee who was working on Thanksgiving was working on this day.
• Dec. 20, 2023 — McBean attempted to return to the Georgetown Wine and Spirits store on P Street. He told an employee to empty the register, but the employee did not have a key. McBean then took out a gun, and the employee handed the whole register over. The USAO said that “McBean fumbled with the machine before handing it back” and leaving without taking anything.
• Jan. 4, 2024 — McBean targeted the Sara’s Market and Dry Cleaners on Q Street NW. The USAO said that he picked up a bottle of wine before pulling out a gun and demanding cash from the employee. The employee told him that the market does not accept cash.
  “Flustered, McBean went back over to the shelf of wine and asked where the red wine was located. When the clerk pointed out that he had already grabbed red wine, he took the bottle and left the store without paying for it,” The USAO’s release said.
• Jan. 5, 2024 — McBean went back to the Glover Park Market while armed with a gun and demanded an employee fill his bag with cash. He also stole lottery tickets and two packs of cigarettes.
• Jan. 8, 2024 — He returned to the Glover Park Market for the fourth time. The employee recognized him from the robberies on Thanksgiving and Dec. 16, 2023.

The USAO said that an officer recognized McBean as he was leaving the Glover Park Market and also identified his license plate. This information led to McBean’s arrest on Jan. 26, 2024.

After his prison sentence, McBean will have to serve three years of supervised release.

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