Madison Man Sentenced to 11 Years for Bank Robbery

MADISON, WIS. - Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jeffrey Parker, 40, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge James Peterson to 11 years in prison for bank robbery.   Parker pleaded guilty this charge on October 3, 2019.

On August 13, 2019, Parker robbed the Summit Credit Union, in Portage, Wisconsin, while brandishing a gun.  During this robbery Parker zip-tied the employees’ hands together to restrain them.  Parker then fled in a vehicle which was pursued down Highway 90 by two Wisconsin State Patrol troopers and a Columbia County sheriff’s deputy.  Speeds during this chase were in excess of 100 miles per hour.

At Highway 151, Parker veered across several lanes of traffic toward Madison.  Parker then sped down East Washington Avenue, going through several red lights, eventually crashing into a FedEx truck, knocking it onto its side.  Parker was then taken into custody.

In sentencing Parker, Judge Peterson noted that for a lot of his life Parker had lived like a habitual criminal.  Parker had a lengthy criminal history and in 2006 was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on a drug charge.  Because Parker then went on to commit this bank robbery, Judge Peterson said he was a ticking time bomb.  Judge Peterson stated that Parker terrorized the victims and endangered many more people during the high speed chase.  Judge Peterson said that the main goal of sentencing was to protect the community.

The charge against Parker was the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Portage Police Department, with the assistance of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, Wisconsin State Patrol, and Madison and Maple Bluff Police Departments.  The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan.

This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime.  The PSN approach involves collaboration by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and communities to prevent and deter gun violence.