Leader of violent spree targeting pharmacies, cellphone stores across DMV, NJ gets 11+ years
Co-leader of violent DMV crime ring sentenced to nearly 12 years
The co-leader of a violent crime ring that operated in the DMV region was sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison.
WHEATON, Md. - The co-leader of a violent robbery crew that officials say terrorized pharmacies and cellphone stores across several states in the Northeast has been sentenced to nearly 12 years in federal prison.
What we know:
Ashley Gause, 33, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced Tuesday for orchestrating a string of armed robberies spanning the District, Maryland, Virginia, and New Jersey. During the spree, which lasted from May 2020 to May 2021, the crew netted approximately $300,000 in stolen goods, cash, and prescription drugs, which they later resold in D.C.
According to court documents, Gause and her crew frequently brandished firearms during the holdups, threatening employees and leaving a trail of trauma in their wake. Her street name was "Cray."
"Ashley Gause and her co-conspirators participated in an extended campaign of violence that caused terror without any regard for their victims," U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said in a statement. "They treated these pharmacies and cellphone stores as their own personal cash machines . . . leaving the store employees scarred for life."
The backstory:
Gause’s sentencing comes a year after a federal jury found her guilty following a six-week trial in October 2025. She was convicted on multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and eight individual counts of robbery.
The T-Mobile store next to Westfield Wheaton Mall in Maryland was one of the businesses targeted in the crime spree.
In some of the crimes, store employees were held at gunpoint and forced to the ground as the thieves stole iPhones and prescription drugs to be resold.
Gause was arrested after robbing a CVS Pharmacy in Anne Arundel County. Police said video and pictures of the suspects helped lead to the arrests.
"It certainly helps for identification, identifying who our suspects are, connecting dots and putting these cases together when they come forward for prosecution," said Montgomery County Police Lt. Ari Elkin. "Over the years, we've seen that sometimes these folks are armed, sometimes if they know their freedom is on the line, they will do just about anything to ensure that they are not apprehended and not locked up and go to jail. So they can be dangerous."
Dig deeper:
In addition to her nearly 12-year prison term, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered Gause to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a sentence of 235 months.
Several of her co-conspirators have also been handed sentences for their roles in the violent spree:
- D’Marrell Mitchell, 36: Sentenced to 192 months (16 years) for conspiracy, drug distribution, and nine counts of robbery.
- Floyd Neal, 32: Sentenced to 157 months for interstate commerce robbery and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense.
- Terrance Barnham, 36: Sentenced to 78 months for robbery, conspiracy, and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.
- Glenn Dolford, 32: Sentenced to 80 months for his role in the robberies, to be served concurrently with a separate 22-year sentence for murder out of D.C. Superior Court.
- Ashawntea Henderson, 33: Sentenced to 57 months for interference with commerce by robbery.
The Source: Information from this article was provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia.