Man handed 20 year sentence in fatal shooting of Federal Hill bartender

BALTIMORE -- The man charged in the death of Alex Wroblewski Jr., a popular Federal Hill bartender, pleaded guilty to shooting him at a Royal Farms in Locust Point in 2017, the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office said Thursday. 

Marquese Winston was convicted of second-degree murder and a gun-related charge, and sentenced to 20 years in prison with five years of probation upon release.  

Winston was convicted of second-degree murder in 2019, but The Maryland Court of Special Appeals reversed the conviction in 2020, ruling he was entitled to a new trial. 

Police believe Winston pulled the trigger at a Royal Farms in November 2017 after robbing Wrobleski, who had stopped to buy a snack after work.  

"This was a hard-fought conviction for a case that shocked the city and especially the family of a dearly beloved man. My heart goes out to Mr. Wroblewski's loved ones who had to endure the tremendous pain of this senseless act of violence," said State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby in a statement.