On June 22, 2014 detectives with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division and agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigations began an investigation into the armed robbery of the New Market Pharmacy located in Charlotte Hall, Maryland. As a result of the investigation, detectives arrested Darrell Lee and Furman Troy charging both with the robbery. Both are currently in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Investigations and have been charged under federal law.

Detectives and agents from the FBI continued the investigation, after the arrest of Lee and Troy, and were able to determine additional suspects were involved in the planning stages of the robbery and provided material support to the suspects before and after the robbery. On October 2, 2014 a St. Mary’s County Grand Jury returned indictments on Michael M. Burgess, age 52 of Alexandria Va. and Abdelrahim T. Ayyad, age 49 of White Plains, Md. charging both with Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery.

On October 3, 2014, simultaneous search and seizure warrants were executed at two residences, one in Charles County, Md. and one in Alexandria, Va. with the assistance of agents from the FBI, Maryland State Police, Charles County Sheriff’s Office and Alexandria City Police Department. Additional evidence was obtained during the searches related to the robbery were recovered.

Burgess and Ayyad were taken into custody without incident, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery and incarcerated in the St. Mary’s County Detention Center. Burgess is currently being held under No Bond. Ayyad was released after posting a $25,000 bond.