Guilty Plea for Gunpoint Pharmacy Robberies in Virginia and Maryland within the District of Columbia

Floyd Neal, a 32-year-old man from Washington D.C., pleaded guilty to his involvement in a series of gunpoint robberies at pharmacies in Maryland and Virginia in 2021. He entered his plea on March 18, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson. Neal admitted to three counts of interference with commerce by robbery and aiding and abetting, as well as using, carrying, and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. His sentencing is scheduled for June 21, 2024.

One of the incidents outlined in court documents took place on February 14, 2021, when Neal and two accomplices traveled to a pharmacy in Henrico, Virginia. Neal brandished a firearm and demanded prescription medications while the others stole narcotics and amphetamines before fleeing in a red SUV. In another robbery on March 25, 2021, at a pharmacy in Alexandria, Virginia, Neal and a co-conspirator posed as customers before revealing a firearm and taking money from the safe. They escaped in a silver sedan.

On March 31, 2021, Neal and his partners targeted a pharmacy in Beltsville, Md., where they forcefully obtained the code to the store’s safe from a store employee. When the store manager arrived, they forced him into the back office to open the safe, while Neal cleared out the cash registers at the front. The group fled in a dark sedan with silver trim. The following day, they attempted to rob a pharmacy in Manassas, Virginia, but were apprehended by police after threats and demands for prescription drugs and cash. Neal was found in possession of a loaded firearm.

The robberies committed by Neal and his accomplices affected interstate commerce, as each targeted pharmacy was part of a national retailer chain. Neal faces a maximum sentence of 20 years for each Hobbs Act robbery count and a potential life sentence for using a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. A federal judge will determine his sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The case was investigated by the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force with assistance from local law enforcement agencies in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Gold and Cameron Tepfer.

In conclusion, Floyd Neal’s guilty plea in connection with the pharmacy robberies in Maryland and Virginia in 2021 highlights the serious nature of his crimes and the impact they had on interstate commerce. With a sentencing hearing scheduled for June 21, 2024, Neal faces the possibility of significant prison time for his involvement. The collaboration between the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force and local law enforcement agencies demonstrates the effectiveness of joint efforts in investigating and prosecuting criminal activities. Overall, this case serves as a reminder of the consequences individuals face when engaging in violent and illegal acts.