Today at 10:35am
A man who terrorized businesses in Arlington, Alexandria and elsewhere from 2018 to 2019 is going to prison.
Freddy Lee McRae, 35, pled guilty to a series of bank and retail robberies last year. On Tuesday McRae, dubbed the “Beltway Bank Bandit,” was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison.
“This case involved a chilling armed robbery spree during which innocent community members were threatened with serious injury or death if they did not comply with repeated demands for money,” Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said in a statement. “We are thankful to our law enforcement partners for their thorough investigation across multiple jurisdictions to bring the defendant to justice.”
A D.C.-based man, dubbed the “Beltway Bank Bandit” by authorities, was convicted in a series of armed robberies from 2018 and 2019 and sentenced to 21 years in prison Tuesday.
According to a Department of Justice news release, Freddie Lee McRae, 35, robbed five banks and an apparel store in Northern Virginia and Maryland between fall 2018 and spring 2019. He also attempted to rob a sixth bank.
He was initially charged with robbing two banks and the store, but he admitted robbing three other banks in his guilty plea:
Bank of America branch on Oct. 27, 2018 in Springfield;
Wells Fargo Bank on Nov. 13, 2018 in Alexandria;
April 1, 2021 at 3:55pm
A new local business owner is taking over the troubled, former Purple Lounge location and is pledging to make it family-friendly.
Layth Mansour will be opening a restaurant and hookah lounge called “Eska” at 3111 Columbia Pike, the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization (CPRO) announced earlier today.
Mansour also owns Legend Kicks & Apparel several blocks down at 2609 Columbia Pike.
This new restaurant will be an “authentic celebration of Arabic culture,” featuring decor, seating, and a menu inspired by Mansour’s roots. He tells ARLnow that he’ll make the new establishment “more family-friendly” and won’t be serving alcohol.