Trotwood Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to String of Armed Bank Robberies

Robberies Included Attempt to Abduct Credit Union Manager

March 25, 2010 - DAYTON—Chukwuemeka O. Eziolisa, 25, of Trotwood, pleaded guilty to one count of armed credit union robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, stemming from the December, 2009 robbery at Abbey Credit Union in Vandalia, Ohio.

Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Keith L. Bennett, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigations; Chief Robert Schommer, Huber Heights Police Department; and Chief Douglas L. Knight, Vandalia Division of Police, announced the pleas entered today before United States Magistrate Judge Michael R. Merz. The case is assigned to -- and sentence will be imposed by -- United States District Judge Thomas M. Rose, who set sentencing for June 18, 2010.

According to the statement of facts filed in Court, Eziolisa entered Abbey Credit Union on Falls Church Drive in Vandalia on December 19, 2009, wearing black clothing, black gloves, and a black ski mask. Eziolisa brandished a .380 Bryco Jennings handgun and demanded money from credit union employees, fleeing with cash. Officers later recovered the loaded firearm at Eziolisa’s residence during the execution of a search warrant.

As part of his plea, Eziolisa admitted committing additional crimes, including an attempted robbery of a credit union on December 4, 2009, and a related abduction attempt, stemming from a scheme where he sat in the parking lot of the DayMet credit Union on Wagner Ford Road waiting for the credit union to close. Eziolisa then followed the credit union manager in her car and, when she stopped at a restaurant on her way home, Eziolisa pulled up next to her car, pointed a firearm at her, and told the manager to get in his car intending to take her back to the credit union so he could rob it. The manager thwarted the attempted abduction, assault and robbery by yelling, fleeing to a neighboring business and obtaining help, while Eziolisa fled the scene.

Eziolisa further admitted to robbing the Check Into Cash business on Brandt Pike in Huber Heights on December 5, 2009, when he donned a black ski mask, brandished a firearm, and demanded money from an employee, again fleeing with cash.

Eziolisa was arrested on December 29, 2009 and has been in custody since his arrest.

Eziolisa faces a sentence of up to 25 years in prison on the armed credit union robbery charge and a consecutive term of at least seven years up to life imprisonment for brandishing the firearm during and in relation to the robbery. Both counts carry additional penalties including a fine of up to a $250,000 and up to five years of supervised release, a form of probation, on each count. He also faces additional non-binding federal Sentencing Guidelines enhancements for the additional robbery and attempted abduction and robbery.

Stewart commended the investigation and handling of this case by FBI agents, Huber Heights and Vandalia police officers and detectives, and District Criminal Chief Vipal Patel and Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Hunt, who are prosecuting the case.