Press Release:
(Only three names released right now. There are others but I believe the investigation is ongoing...)
On Tuesday, Investigators with the Allegany County Combined Criminal Investigation Unit (C3I) arrested 23 year old Cody Jerome Crabtree, of Cumberland, 20 year old Cory Joseph Crabtree, of Cumberland, and 21 year old Zachary Burdette Huffman, of Oldtown, in connection with a series of armed robberies in Allegany County. The Crabtrees were arrested at a private apartment in Cumberland, and Huffman was arrested at a private residence in Oldtown.
On 11/28/2011, at approximately 5:00 AM, an employee at the Brass Kactus, on Offutt Street in Cumberland, was approached by three suspects as he was reporting to work. One of the suspects displayed a small handgun. The employee was struck in the head with an unknown object by one of the suspects who demanded money. The suspects then removed an undisclosed sum of cash from the cash register and the bar area before fleeing on foot. The direction of travel was unknown. The suspects were wearing dark clothing and ski masks.
On 12/06/2011, at approximately 7:00 PM, two suspects dressed in dark clothing and wearing ski masks entered Billie’s Gas & Grub in Flintstone. They approached an employee, displayed a handgun, and demanded money from the cash register and the safe. The employee complied, and the suspects fled on foot.
On 12/11/2011, at approximately 8:00 PM, four suspects, wearing dark clothing and ski masks, broke into a private residence in Rawlings and assaulted the 69 year old female resident. The victim’s hands and feet were tied up by the suspects who demanded money. After removing several firearms from the residence, the suspects loaded them into the victim’s own vehicle and fled the scene.
The vehicle and firearms were later recovered, abandoned in the parking lot of a local motel. When the victim’s vehicle was recovered, the Maryland State Police responded to the victim’s residence, at which time it was discovered that the residence had been broken into, and the victim was discovered, still bound and lying on the floor, 16 hours after being originally tied up.
A joint investigation involving the Cumberland Police, the Maryland State Police, the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office, and C3I helped Investigators develop several suspects. Enough information was developed that led Investigators to obtain arrest warrants for Cody Crabtree, Cory Crabtree, and Huffman, as well as a search warrant for the apartment occupied by Cody and Cory Crabtree.
On 12/13/2011 the Cumberland Police CERT Team was utilized to make entry into the apartment. Investigators placed Cody and Cory Crabtree under arrest at that time, and searched the residence, recovering several items of evidence related to the crimes.
The CERT Team was utilized again to make entry into another residence on High Bedford Street after another search warrant had been obtained for a private residence there. Investigators recovered firearms that had been reported stolen during another home invasion robbery that occurred in Centerville, Pennsylvania on 12/11/2011, the same night that the victim in Rawlings’ residence was entered.
Cody Crabtree, Cory Crabtree, and Huffman have all been charged with several counts of Armed Robbery, Theft, Assault, and related charges. They were taken before a District Court Commissioner for an initial appearance. Bond was set at $2.5 million dollars each for Cody and Cory Crabtree, and $25,000.00 for Huffman. They are currently incarcerated in the Allegany County Detention Center pending their next court appearance.
Investigators have obtained an arrest warrant for a co-defendant, who is identified as Gregory Thomas Laisure. Laisure is described as a white male, 22 years of age, 5-03 in height, and weighing 145 pounds. Laisure may be armed, and should be considered dangerous. Anybody with information on Laisure’s whereabouts is being asked to contact their nearest law enforcement agency. The Cumberland Police can be contacted at 301-777-1600, the Maryland State Police at 301-729-2101, the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office at 301-777-5959, or the C3I Unit at 301-777-0326.
News:
Read it here first...or hear about it later.
News:
Read it here first...or hear about it later.
