Frederick man pleads guilty to robbery with dangerous weapon after pepper spray attack

Frederick: A man named Nicholas Peter Albanes, 42, just pleaded guilty to robbery with a dangerous weapon. This all goes back to a scary incident in May 2023. He pepper sprayed a mother and her 8-year-old kid and snatched her purse.

So, here’s the deal. Albanes was supposed to go to trial for a bunch of charges, including attempted kidnapping and theft. But he decided to plead guilty instead. The mom and her child were just waiting by a bus stop when a dark car pulled up. Albanes jumped out, tried to grab the little girl, and ended up spraying them both before making off with the purse.

The prosecutor, Ricky Lewis, mentioned that they had solid evidence against Albanes. They found his DNA on the pepper spray canister, and there was surveillance footage that showed everything. Plus, the victim described tattoos on the attacker that matched Albanes.

In Maryland, robbery with a dangerous weapon is a serious felony. It can land you in prison for up to 20 years. As part of the plea deal, both sides agreed to ask for a hefty sentence. The prosecutors want him to serve at least 18 years, while his defenders are aiming for a minimum of 10 years. The judge can decide to suspend some of that time, though.

After serving his time, Albanes will have to do five years of probation. During that time, he can’t drink or do drugs, and he has to stay away from the victims. He’ll also need to pay them $280 in restitution.

Judge Julia Minner, who oversaw the hearing, seemed fine with the plea deal. She set the sentencing for February 18, giving the victims a chance to be there. Once he’s sentenced, the remaining charges against Albanes will be dropped, according to the State’s Attorney’s Office.