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Bank robber gets 6 years in prison

By Amanda Stewart
Published: June 07, 2009

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A man convicted of robbing two banks in April 2008, including a BB&T Bank in Woodbridge, was sentenced Friday to six years and 11 months in federal prison.

Derrick Aylor, 26, of Derwood, Md., pleaded guilty in January at U.S. District Court in Greenbelt to the April 21, 2008 robbery of the BB&T Bank in the 16500 block of River Ridge Boulevard in Woodbridge and the April 29, 2008 robbery of a Chevy Chase Bank in the 12000 block of Rockville Pike in Rockville.

In addition to the prison time, a U.S. District Court judge sentenced Aylor to serve three years of probation and to pay the two banks $2,230 in restitution.

According to court documents, Aylor robbed the Woodbridge BB&T by handing the teller a note that read “This is a robbery give me all your 100’s in top and bottom drawer.”

The teller did not have any $100 bills, but gave Aylor $1,018 in smaller bills, court documents state.

Aylor then fled the scene.

About a week later, Aylor robbed the Chevy Chase Bank in Rockville the same way, by handing the bank teller a note demanding money.

That time Aylor left with $1,212.

The teller at that bank was able to slip a dye pack into the money bag.

When Aylor left the bank in a taxicab, the dye pack exploded, coloring his hands and sweatshirt red.

The cab driver kicked Aylor out of the cab, but he was still able to get away before police arrived.

FBI agents arrested Aylor in Ranson, W.Va. two days later, on May 1, 2008.

When he was arrested, Aylor’s hands were still stained red from the exploding dye pack, FBI officials said.

Using surveillance footage and finger prints from the notes, authorities were able to tie Aylor to both robberies.

According to court documents, Aylor confessed to both robberies. He told the FBI that he has recently lost his job and become homeless and “believed robbing banks was a way to get money without actually harming anyone or going into a home,” the documents state.

Staff writer Amanda Stewart can be reached at 703-878-8014.