WICOMICO COUNTY, Md.- A Salisbury man will spend a quarter of a century behind bars for his role in an armed robbery last year at a Salisbury pizza restaurant.
On March 7, Senior Judge of the Circuit Court for Wicomico County, the Honorable W. Newton Jackson III, sentenced Kendal Lee Smiley, to 50 years with only 25 years of active incarceration. Five years of that sentence is without possibility of parole, as mandated by statute. Following his release, Smiley will be on five years of supervised probation.
Following a two-day jury trial on January 18, Smiley was convicted of armed robbery, two counts of first-degree assault, two counts of firearm use in a violent crime, and related offenses.l. Sentencing had been postponed pending the completion of a pre-sentence investigation.
Prosecutors say on March 13, Smiley stole a silver handgun from a relative and walked to the Pizza City on Carroll Street in Salisbury. Smiley covered himself in a grey hooded sweatshirt, red sweatpants, and a red plastic mask before going inside. He pointed the gun at two employees and robbed the store cash register. After leaving the restaurant, Smiley put his clothes in the relative’s backyard trashcan and left.
Police found Smiley in the area about ten minutes after the robbery, but his clothing did not match the clothing description provided by the victims. Smiley was released from police contact, and continued to a local hotel to use the stolen money to pay for his stay.
Police later found the clothing and mask and sent them for DNA analysis which confirmed that Smiley was the individual that wore all three items.