According to the State's Attorney's Office for Carroll County, 53-year-old Edwin Hoerner was sentenced to 25 years without parole for a PNC Bank robbery in Westminister in 2016.
Officials say during the robbery incident Hoerner forced a customer at gunpoint in the bank and ordered the customers to the ground and demanded tellers to empty cash that amounted to $8,000.
Police found and arrested him days later at his home. They were able to discover the robbery handgun, the mask he used during the robbery, and other items of identification that confirmed his involvement in the crime.
On his first day of trial, officials say Hoerner originally pleaded not guilty to the incident, but on the second day of trial, he changed his plea to guilty.
In a statement from State's Attorney office of Carroll County:
“The State’s Attorney’s Office will not shy away from trials in any case, but in particular, in cases involving violent crime. That Mr. Hoerner changed his plea from not guilty to guilty prior to the start of the trial’s second day is a tribute to the diligent work of Sgt. Jeff Schuster of the Westminster Police Department, and the tireless work in preparing for trial undertaken by members of my office”, stated Brian DeLeonardo, State’s Attorney for Carroll County.
