Sioux City Bank Robber Sentenced to Twelve Years in Federal Prison

White, who also robbed a taxi cab driver, had a violent criminal history.

A Sioux City man involved in two separate robberies, after several convictions for violent state offenses, was sentenced on November 22, 2019 to twelve years in federal prison.

Phillip White, age 33, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 13, 2019, guilty plea to one count of bank robbery, and one count of Interference with Commerce by Robbery (for the robbery of a Sioux City cab driver).

Evidence produced by the United States at the detention, change of plea, and sentencing hearings revealed that just two months after completing a sentence for second degree burglary, on October 12, 2018, White robbed a taxi cab driver with a bb-gun.  On December 12, 2018, while on bond for the taxi robbery, he robbed a bank by implying he had a gun by putting his hand in his pocket.  He and an accessory then led law enforcement on a chase that created a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury to others.

Defendant has a history of violence.  He has committed numerous assaults and related offenses.  He robbed two other cab drivers before his most recent offenses.  In one of the earlier taxi cab robberies, White held a knife to the throat of his victim and demanded money.  On the second occasion, he held a broken beer bottle to another victim’s throat and demanded money. 

White was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  White was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to make $21,503.11 in restitution.  He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

White is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa State Patrol, the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office, and the Le Mars and Sioux City, Iowa Police Departments.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.