District Heights man sentenced for role in Calvert pharmacy robbery

Last November Spence, a District Heights resident, pleaded guilty in circuit court to a single count of robbery.

Three months earlier, Spence and two other men — identified as Malik Kajaun Rivers, 27, of Bryans Road and Shahid Malik Horne, 26, of Upper Marlboro — were indicted in connection with the robbery at the Walgreens pharmacy in Prince Frederick.

On Nov. 4, Rivers pleaded guilty to robbery and resisting arrest. He was sentenced to three years in prison last December.

The state’s case against Horne remains open with a plea hearing scheduled for April 14 and a jury trial in July.

According to court documents filed by Detective Ed Yates of the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, during the early afternoon hours of July 14, deputies had been alerted that a pharmacy in St. Mary’s County had been robbed. Shortly after 2 p.m. authorities received a call from a man who said he saw two individuals matching the description of the alleged perpetrators of the incident in St. Mary’s enter the Walgreens store in Prince Frederick.

Yates stated in court papers that Calvert deputies Edwin Bradley and Cody Shoemaker were sent to the scene and entered the store.

“When they entered, Rivers charged at Deputy Shoemaker as he gave loud commands to stop and lay down on the ground,” Yates said in charging documents.

Rivers was apprehended outside the store and a search revealed several stolen cough syrup medications, which Rivers had concealed within the compression pants he was wearing.

Rivers and Horne were apprehended at the scene. Spence, who had been driving a Ford Escape with North Carolina tags, was located in the area of Ponds Wood Road in Huntingtown a short time later.

According to Yates, Spence had admitted to being in the area where the thwarted robbery occurred, “but denied involvement. He initially claimed he came down from Prince George’s County to visit a friend and deliver for Door Dash.”

Yates reported, “Rivers confessed to entering the Giant Pharmacy in St. Mary’s and threatening employees there with pepper spray in order to steal promethazine with codeine.” The drug’s street name is “lean.”

Subsequently, Spence confessed to his involvement in the two incidents, telling investigators he “was paid by another individual to drive Rivers and Horne around to steal lean from pharmacies.”

Rivers pleaded guilty to robbery and resisting arrest in Calvert County Circuit Court on Nov. 4. In December he was sentenced to three years in prison.

Horne’s case in Calvert, an eight-count indictment, is still open and could go to a jury trial in July.

The three men were subsequently indicted in St. Mary’s in connection with the July 14, 2022, incident at the Giant. Those cases remain open.

Spence was represented at Monday’s hearing by John Joseph Pikulski IV of Upper Marlboro.

The case was prosecuted by Benjamin G. Lerner, assistant state’s attorney.

In a press release, Calvert County State’s Attorney Robert Harvey (R) commended Lerner for his handling of the case. Harvey also praised Bradley and Shoemaker for their quick response to the situation at Walgreens.

“Their swift action led to the apprehension of the suspects and helped keep the community safe,” said Harvey.

Twitter: @MartySoMdNews