Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal jury found Thaddeus Lamont Wills, 51, and Keionta Shawn Hagens, 44, both of Waldorf, Maryland, guilty of a series of violent crimes, including interference with interstate commerce by robbery, conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce, carjacking, brandishing firearms during a crime of violence, and murder. The convictions, announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron, follow a nine-day trial and a comprehensive investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies.
The case centered on a string of armed robberies and violent encounters that spanned several months, culminating in the fatal shooting of a business owner. The prosecution presented evidence outlining the suspects’ involvement in robberies across Maryland and Virginia from November 2020 to January 2021, during which the defendants used firearms to threaten and steal from employees and customers of various businesses.
Robbery Spree Across State Lines
According to the evidence presented, the defendants initiated their crime spree on November 12, 2020, targeting a business identified in court records as “Business-1.” Wills, Hagens, and other conspirators armed with firearms held up an employee of the business, taking cash and merchandise. They also robbed a customer of personal belongings, and in their escape, forcibly stole a 2016 Dodge Ram pickup truck from the victim.
Further evidence detailed a similar incident on November 17, 2020, where the suspects used a stolen 2014 Ford F-150 to travel to another business, “Business-2,” with the intent to rob. The suspects, armed once again, subdued employees and customers, stealing cash, merchandise, and personal property. The perpetrators zip-tied an employee’s hands to prevent escape and concealed the stolen vehicles in the Brandywine, Maryland, area, where they stored both trucks until their next planned crime.
On January 6, 2021, the suspects escalated their violence, reportedly taking a 2008 Honda Pilot SUV from a victim in Waldorf, Maryland. Wills and his co-conspirators used this vehicle to cross state lines into Virginia, where, the following day, they targeted “Business-3” in Woodbridge. The defendants, armed with firearms, robbed customers, agents, and employees, seizing cash, merchandise, and other valuables. To eliminate evidence, they returned to Maryland and burned the stolen vehicle in Brandywine.
Fatal Robbery and Murder
The crime spree came to a tragic head on January 18, 2021, when the suspects, armed with firearms, targeted “Business-4” and its owner, identified as “Victim-8” in court records. During the robbery, Wills and Hagens used firearms to threaten the business owner, and in the course of events, the owner was fatally shot. To secure their escape, Wills brandished a firearm to forcibly steal a 2019 Lexus RX350 from another individual.
Sentencing and Legal Consequences
Wills faces severe potential penalties, including a maximum sentence of life in federal prison for the murder of Victim-8. Each charge of using and brandishing a firearm during the robberies and carjackings carries a mandatory minimum of seven years and a potential life sentence. Additional charges for conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce and interference by robbery on multiple occasions carry maximum sentences of up to 20 years. Each carjacking charge adds up to a possible 15 years in prison.
Hagens, who was also convicted on multiple charges related to the robbery spree, faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life for brandishing a firearm during the robbery on November 17, 2020. Similar to Wills, he faces up to 20 years for each count of interference with commerce and conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery.
Sentencing is set for February 7, 2024, for Wills and February 14, 2024, for Hagens, before U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang. While the defendants face severe sentences, actual terms are often less than maximum penalties due to sentencing guidelines and other statutory considerations.
Community Response and Law Enforcement Collaboration
The case highlights a collaborative response from federal and local law enforcement, including the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office, and the Prince William County, Virginia, Police Department. U.S. Attorney Barron praised the agencies’ commitment to public safety and acknowledged the contributions of Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Moomau and Patrick D. Kibbe, who prosecuted the case.
This conviction forms part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime through partnerships across all levels of law enforcement and community organizations. The PSN program, which the Department of Justice revamped in 2021, focuses on fostering trust, supporting violence prevention, setting focused enforcement priorities, and measuring the impact of these efforts.
