Suspension For Attorney Charged As Yogurt Store Robbery Getaway Driver

The Maryland Court of Appeals temporarily suspended an attorney featured in this December 2015 story in the Baltimore Sun.

A Baltimore County attorney who was charged with driving the getaway van in an armed robbery pleaded guilty to two drug charges this week.

Diana Beth Denrich, 37, of Owings Mills, pleaded guilty to a prescription fraud charge and possession of morphine, according to the county state’s attorney’s office. She also pleaded no contest to conspiracy to commit theft of less than $1,000. All the charges are misdemeanors.

Prosecutors dropped multiple other charges against Denrich.

Her lawyer, Robert N. Smith III, declined to comment.

Denrich was charged this year with driving the getaway van in the September 2015 armed robbery of the uSpoon frozen yogurt store in Owings Mills. She was later charged in separate drug cases involving alleged prescription fraud.

Judge Mickey Norman gave Denrich suspended sentences and two years of supervised probation, State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger said.

The Sun had this update on the robbery charges.

Police said a man with a handgun entered the uSpoon store on Sept. 27 while Papanikos and another employee were working.

He pointed a gun at Papanikos and another worker and demanded money, police said. He fled with an unspecified amount of money from the register, as well as the employees’ cell phones and the store phone.

A surveillance camera captured his image, police said, and a witness in the parking lot saw the suspect get into a gray minivan. Denrich owns a gray Honda Odyssey, police said.

In October, police said, a neighbor of Denrich’s saw Denrich, Papanikos and a man Denrich introduced as “David” in the minivan at the Shell gas station at Franklin Boulevard and Reisterstown Road.

Winder has admitted he robbed the store in September, police said.

They said he told investigators that Denrich and Papanikos planned the robbery and asked him to go into the store.

The suspension order does not recite reasons but notes that Bar Counsel has filed a petition for Disciplinary or Remedial Action.  (Mike Frisch)