Earl Whittley Davis, age 36, of Washington D.C., was charged by federal complaint today with robbery and use of a firearm in the murder of a Dunbar armored car employee and state murder charges against Mr. Davis were dismissed, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Glenn F. Ivey.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein stated, “After reviewing the evidence and discussing the case with Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Glenn Ivey and his staff, I have determined that the interests of the victims and the community will be best served by federal prosecution. Jason Schwindler – a 28 year old Navy veteran and a husband and father – was murdered by vicious criminals who ambushed his company’s armored car in Hyattsville. Under federal law, as under Maryland law, this crime is subject to the death penalty.”
“Just like in our joint prosecution of the MS-13 defendants, we will be able to build a more powerful case in the federal system,” said Glenn F. Ivey, State’s Attorney for Prince George’s County. “Working in tandem with federal prosecutors will give us an even stronger case against this cold-blooded killer.”
According to the criminal complaint, on August 6, 2004 Jason Schwindler, a Dunbar armored car employee, exited a Dunbar armored vehicle and walked towards the front door of BB&T Bank at 3505 Hamilton Street, Hyattsville, Maryland with a canvass money bag containing $57,118.70 and checks amounting to $5,594. Two armed men, including Earl Davis, allegedly approached Schwindler and shot him multiple times. The men grabbed the canvass money bag and entered a stolen Jeep Cherokee sport utility vehicle parked in front of the bank. The Dunbar driver drove the armored vehicle into the Jeep Cherokee, disabling it. The two men fled on foot to the rear of the bank where they pointed firearms at a bank customer who was approaching her car and demanded her keys. They fled in the bank customer’s car. Later that day, the bank customer’s car was recovered in Northeast- Washington, D.C. with the canvass money bag inside. Davis was arrested on October 25, 2004.
Davis faces a maximum sentence of death or life in prison followed by five years of supervised release for use of a firearm in the murder, and 20 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for robbery. Davis is in federal custody. His initial appearance is expected to be scheduled for later this afternoon or tomorrow.
A complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the investigative work performed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Prince George’s County Police Department, Hyattsville City Police Department and United States Park Police and commended Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Glenn Ivey for his office’s cooperation and coordination in this case. Mr. Rosenstein also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deborah Johnston and Emily Glatfelter, who are prosecuting the case.