Hyattsville Man Sentenced For Committing 10 Robberies, 6 Of Which He Was Armed With A Gun

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — A Hyattsville man has been sentenced to prison for committing 10 robberies - six of which were done while he was armed with a gun. The robberies happened in Georgetown and Glover Park between August 2023 and January 2024.

Two of the victims were repeatedly robbed and one of the stores was robbed three separate times, the prosecution said, including at gunpoint on Thanksgiving.

Roberto McBean, 31, formerly worked for the Architect of the Capitol, admitted to committing all 10 robberies. He pleaded guilty on April 26 to four counts of interference with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery) before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly and was sentenced to 78 months in prison. In addition to the prison sentence, the judge ordered McBean to serve three years of supervised release.

According to court documents, on Aug. 22, 2023, McBean used a small hammer to rob a Sunoco gas station in the 2400 block of Wisconsin Ave., NW. McBean told the store clerk, “Don't touch anything, don't say anything, this is hard for me.” He then ordered the store clerk to open register, which McBean then emptied, according to the prosecution.

On Aug. 31, 2023, McBean used a small vegetable knife to rob the Georgetown Wine and Spirits in the 2700 block of P street, NW. After checking for customers, McBean pointed the blade at the employee working the counter and demanded both the money from the register as well as the employee’s wallet. On the way out of the store, he grabbed a bottle of red wine, according to the prosecution.

On Sept. 18, 2023, McBean brandished a knife at the Universal Wine and Spirits in the 2000 block of Florida Ave. A customer saw what was happening and yelled, “Not today, Get out!” McBean ran off without taking any cash, according to the prosecution.

On Nov. 23, 2023, on Thanksgiving, McBean wore a mask and gloves and entered the Glover Park Market in the 2400 block of 37th Street, NW. Armed with a gun, he took cash from the register. McBean later robbed this store three more times, according to the prosecution.

On Dec. 8, 2023, McBean went into an Exxon gas station in Georgetown in the 1600 block of Wisconsin Ave., NW, pulled out a gun and left with a small amount of money. That same day, McBean returned to the Sunoco gas station on Wisconsin Ave., pulled out his gun and ordered the employee to empty the register into a bag. On Dec. 16, 2023, McBean returned to the Glover Park Market where the same individual he had robbed at gunpoint on Thanksgiving was on duty. McBean went behind the counter, opened the register and took the cash, multiple lottery tickets and a plastic bag, according to the prosecution.

On Dec. 20, 2023, McBean returned to the Georgetown Wine and Spirits shop and ordered an employee to empty the register. The employee told McBean that he didn’t have a key to the register. McBean pulled out a gun and again demanded money. The employee picked up the entire register and handed it to McBean. McBean fumbled with the machine before handing it back and left the store, according to the prosecution.

On Jan. 4, McBean entered Sara’s Market and Dry Cleaners in the 3000 block of Q Street NW. McBean picked up a bottle of wine, set it on the counter, pulled out a gun and demanded cash. The employee said the market did not accept cash. 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, according to the prosecution.

On Jan. 5, McBean again returned to the Glover Park Market armed with a handgun and ordered an employee to fill a bag with cash. In addition to the money, McBean took lottery tickets and two packs of cigarettes, according to the prosecution.

On Jan. 8, McBean wore gloves and a mask and returned to the Glover Park Market for the fourth time. The store employee on duty recognized him as the same person who had robbed her on Thanksgiving and Dec. 16 in 2023. A police officer spotted McBean as he left the store and noticed he matched the description of a perpetrator from previous robberies at the market. The officer was able to identify the license plate from the vehicle McBean used to leave the scene, which led to his eventual arrest and indictment later that month, according to the prosecution.

Agents with the FBI’s Washington Field Office arrested McBean Jan. 26.