Minneapolis Man Indicted for Robbing Two St. Paul Banks

Earlier today in federal court in Minneapolis, a 54-year-old Minneapolis man was indicted for robbing two St. Paul banks earlier this year. The indictment charges Michael Lewis Johnson with two counts of bank robbery.

The indictment alleges that on April 5, 2011, Johnson stole $4,255 from the Wells Fargo Bank at 2145 Ford Parkway. It also alleges that on February 2, 2011, he stole $4,839 from the TCF Bank at 2163 Ford Parkway. According to a law enforcement affidavit filed in the case, a man, later identified as Johnson, walked into the Wells Fargo bank at 4 p.m. on April 5, 2011. He stood next to the kiosk where customers fill out bank forms for about 10 to 15 minutes. Then, he allegedly approached a teller, handed her a note, and said, “We’ve got a problem here.” The note, which was written on an ATM deposit envelope, stated, “you’re being robbed.” He instructed the teller to place money on the counter, which the teller did.

The robber then allegedly flipped through the stacks of money before putting them in a plastic shopping bag and walking out the bank. Video surveillance at the bank and nearby businesses recorded the robber. Those surveillance tapes were used to identify Johnson, who was arrested on April 6, 2011, at his residence. During the execution of a search warrant at Johnson’s home, police seized cash in the basement as well as clothing that matched what was worn by the robber.

If convicted, Johnson faces a potential maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. All sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge. This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the St. Paul Police Department, and the Minneapolis Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew S. Dunne and Bahram Samie.

An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. A defendant, of course, is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty at trial.