Maryland ‘Bank Jugging’ Spree Nets $155K From 34 Victims

Seven individuals have been indicted on multiple felony charges including participation in a criminal gang, attempted murder, armed carjacking, and armed robbery following a year-long series of attacks targeting bank customers across five Maryland counties, Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced Friday.

The suspects, ranging in age from 19 to 25, allegedly operated in two separate but similarly structured criminal organizations that stole more than $155,000 from 34 victims between August 2023 and July 2024.

‘Bank Jugging’ Tactic Targeted Vulnerable Customers

“For nearly a year, these suspects terrorized and traumatized hardworking Marylanders who were just trying to run a simple errand and take money out of the bank,” Brown said during Friday’s announcement, according to Fox Baltimore.

Investigators described the crime pattern as “bank jugging,” where perpetrators would identify victims leaving financial institutions after withdrawing cash, follow them, and then rob them at gunpoint, often using extreme violence.

Two Organized Criminal Groups

According to the Attorney General’s Office, the first group carried out 20 robberies and attempted robberies between August 2023 and January 2024, targeting customers of institutions including Navy Federal Credit Union, Bank of America, Capital One, and Wells Fargo.

After law enforcement disrupted the first operation with arrests, a second group emerged in May 2024 and conducted 14 similar robberies through July 2024, as detailed by WJLA.

Escalating Violence and Enhanced Weaponry

Investigators found that suspects increasingly employed sophisticated weaponry, including handguns modified with illegal machine gun conversion devices known as “Glock switches” that convert semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic firearms.

In several instances, perpetrators fired at fleeing victims and employed physical violence including beatings and chokeholds, according to reports from the multi-agency investigation led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Multi-Jurisdictional Investigation Effort

The investigation involved extensive cooperation between federal and local law enforcement agencies across Maryland and neighboring jurisdictions in Virginia and Washington, D.C., with crimes occurring in Anne Arundel, Prince George’s, Howard, Charles, and Montgomery counties.

All seven suspects are currently in custody, facing extensive charges that could result in decades of imprisonment if convicted, according to Eye On Annapolis.