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Baltimore resident Keith Poynter, Jr. has been sentenced to 26 years in prison for his role in a 2019 series of armed robberies, all committed in one day, and for firing a gun during one of the incidents.
He was convicted by a jury following a four-day trial in April.
Federal prosecutors say that on Dec. 6, 2019, Poynter conspired with others, including Benjamin Bunn, Jr., and Tiffany Gardner, to rob businesses in both Baltimore City and Baltimore County.
On the day of the robberies, Poynter and another suspect robbed a jewelry store in the 200 block of North Howard Street, during which the other person placed a machete in the door to prevent it from locking.
During the initial robbery, Poynter brandished a weapon and struck a glass countertop, which caused the gun to fire. He then fired two more shots into another glass case and stole jewelry and other merchandise, all in the presence of store employees.
The two then got into a silver Acura TL, which was being driven by Bunn, and the three left the area.
Later that day, Poynter entered a second jewelry store in the Security Square Mall, where he took out the handgun and demanded jewelry before fleeing the store in a waiting Acura TL where Bunn and Gardner were waiting.
Two hours later, their trail of tears continued, when Poynter walked into a pawn shop in hte 6600 block of Reisterstown Road with the weapon, demanded jewelry, and threatened to shoot a customer.
He again made off with the jewelry and returned to the waiting Acura.
Poynter was convicted of:
- Three counts of commercial robbery;
- Conspiracy to use a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence;
- Two counts of using and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence;
- Discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
He had faced life in prison.
Bunn pleaded guilty days before his trial and is scheduled to be sentenced in early September. Gardner pleaded guilty and got five years in prison.
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