Indianapolis Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for String of Marion County Robberies

Hogsett Says Sentence is Another Result in U.S. Attorney’s Violent Crime Initiative

INDIANAPOLIS—Joseph H. Hogsett, the United States Attorney, announced today that Carl James Matthews, age 28, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 264 months (22 years) in prison this morning by U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. This follows the defendant’s plea of guilty to four counts of interfering with interstate commerce by robbery and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.

“This is a shining example of local and federal law enforcement agencies working together, sharing resources, and ultimately removing a violent, repeat offender from the streets of Indianapolis,” said United States Attorney Joseph Hogsett. “The FBI Safe Streets Task Force and our partners at IMPD deserve tremendous credit for their efforts in pulling this case together.”

Matthews was arrested by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police (IMPD) on November 2, 2011, following an armed robbery of the Discount Tobacco store located at 1702 Southeastern Avenue, in Indianapolis. Subsequent investigation by IMPD detectives and agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force revealed that between October 28 and November 2, 2011, Matthews committed at least four armed robberies in Marion County, including a Kentucky Fried Chicken, a Speedway gas station, and two different Discount Tobacco stores.

In each of those robberies, Matthews entered the business, brandished a 9mm pistol, and demanded that store employees give him all of the money within the cash registers. In two of the robberies, Matthews ordered employees in the store to lie on the ground at gunpoint before fleeing. All totaled, Matthews stole $2,349 from the four businesses.

In handing down the 22-year sentence, Judge Pratt noted Matthews’ lengthy, violent criminal history, including prior felony convictions for child molestation in 2002, armed robbery in 2005, and possession of methamphetamine precursors in 2011. Judge Pratt also noted that Matthews was on parole for the 2005 robbery conviction at the time of his arrest for the 2011 robbery charges.

Federal prisoners are not eligible for parole, and Matthews will not be eligible for release before serving at least 85 percent of his federal sentence. Following his release, Judge Pratt ordered Matthews to serve a five-year period of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution in the amount of $2,349 to the victim businesses.

Announced by Hogsett in March 2011, the Violent Crime Initiative (VCI) represents a district-wide strategy to work with local law enforcement and county prosecutors to combat drug traffickers and criminals that use and carry firearms in their illegal activities. As part of the VCI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has redoubled efforts to federally prosecute individuals who illegally possess and distribute firearms in central and southern Indiana.

In the first nine months of the initiative, the VCI produced a dramatic increase in the number of gun-related charges brought federally—from just 14 felony possession charges in 2010 to more than 110 last year. More than half of those new prosecutions were in Marion County, and the criminal histories of the defendants charged account for hundreds of prior felonies in the Indianapolis area.

South Jersey Man Admits Robbing Three Banks

CAMDEN, NJ—A Camden County, New Jersey man today admitted robbing three banks in Pennsauken, New Jersey, in November 2011 while on federal supervised release for bank robbery, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Richard B. Jones, 38, of Pennsauken, pleaded guilty to an information charging him with one count of bank robbery in connection with his robbing a Sovereign Bank on November 28, 2011. He also admitted robbing the same Sovereign Bank and the PNC Bank in Pennsauken, New Jersey, that same month. Jones committed these three bank robberies while on federal supervised release for a bank robbery he committed in Rhode Island in 2006 and pleaded guilty to violating his supervised release. Jones entered his guilty pleas before U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb in Camden federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

In November 2011, Jones entered a PNC Bank in Pennsauken, approached a bank teller, and presented a note that said, “Got a gun, no dye packs, all 20s, 50s, 100s.” He received money from the teller and fled. He also robbed the Sovereign Bank twice that month.

The charge to which Jones pleaded guilty is punishable by a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Jones faces up to two additional years in prison for the violation of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for October 19, 2012.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent In Charge Michael B. Ward in Newark, and the Pennsauken Police Department, and the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office for the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyson M. Oswald of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.

“Fake Beard Bandit” Sentenced to 135 Months for Each of Seven Armed Bank Robberies in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas

FORT SMITH, AR—Conner Eldridge, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Jason Day, age 39 of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 135 months today for each of seven counts of armed bank robbery, one count of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank robbery, to run concurrent. While dressed as the “Fake Beard Bandit,” Day robbed or attempted to rob nine banks in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas. The sentence was handed down in U.S. District Court in Fort Smith, Arkansas before Chief U.S. District Judge P. K. Holmes, III.

Day was arrested within days of his August 23, 2011 robbery of Liberty Bank of Arkansas’ location on Old Greenwood Road in Fort Smith. After he was arrested, Day was identified as the individual in the other “Fake Beard Bandit” robbery surveillance photos. Other “Fake Beard Bandit” robberies perpetrated by Day include: First National Bank of Coweta in Oklahoma on May 26, 2011; Bank of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City (Pennsylvania Avenue Branch) on May 26, 2011; Bank of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City (Northwest Expressway Branch) on June 10, 2011; IBC Bank in Oklahoma City on June 29, 2011; Hometown Bank in Joplin, Missouri on July 13, 2011; Bank of Blue Valley in Shawnee, Kansas on July 25, 2011; Bank Midwest in Olathe, Kansas on August 3, 2011, and attempted robbery of River Town Credit Union in Fort Smith, Arkansas on July 22, 2011.

The cases against Day in the Western District of Oklahoma, the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the District of Kansas and the Western District of Missouri were all transferred to the Western District of Arkansas for simultaneous prosecution.

United States Attorney Eldridge commented, “Today, the “Fake Beard Bandit” was held accountable for terrorizing numerous customers and employees of banks across four states. We will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who put innocent people in harm’s way in the course of armed robbery.”

Per court records, on August 23, 2011, a white male disguised with a fake beard, wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, entered the Liberty Bank of Arkansas on Old Greenwood Road in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The individual, later identified as the defendant, ordered a bank teller to put cash in a bag or he was “going to shoot.” The defendant carried what witnesses described as a black semi-automatic handgun and pointed it at two individuals working at the bank, who complied with the robber’s commands. Before leaving the bank, the defendant told everyone inside to lay on the ground for five minutes. He stated his partner outside the bank was watching and would shoot anyone who stood up.

Detective Story, with the Fort Smith Police Department, determined that the person who robbed the Liberty Bank of Arkansas was likely the “Fake Beard Bandit,” due to the same disguise, grey getaway vehicle and similar mannerisms as that of the individual who attempted to rob the River Town Credit Union in Fort Smith, Arkansas, on July 22, 2011. Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation learned that the “Fake Beard Bandit” was also a suspect in bank robberies in Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas. According to investigative reports, the “Fake Beard Bandit” would enter a bank wearing street clothes and would return to the bank later that same day wearing a disguise that included a fake beard. Surveillance videos and reports from “Fake Beard Bandit” bank robberies indicated that the vehicle driven by the robber was a grey Volkswagen Jetta with an Oklahoma license plate.

Day was sentenced to 135 months’ imprisonment for each count of armed bank robbery; bank robbery and attempted bank robbery counts, to run concurrent; and ordered to pay $70,500.00 in restitution and a $5,000 fine. The defendant will also be under supervised release for five years upon his release from prison.

This case was investigated by the Fort Smith Police Department; the Coweta, Oklahoma Police Department; the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Police Department; the Joplin, Missouri Police Department; the Olathe, Kansas Police Department; the Shawnee, Kansas Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas. Assistant United States Attorney Kyra Jenner prosecuted the case for the United States.

Arrest Made in “Wicker Park Bandit” Investigation

A suspect in a string of as many as 10 bank robberies in and around Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood was arrested late last night, announced Robert D. Grant, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).  Mr. Grant was joined in making this announcement by Garry F. McCarthy, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart.

SIMEON HARRIS, age 27, of 2631 South Indiana, was arrested Tuesday evening, without incident, by members of the Chicago FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force (VCTF) outside his residence. HARRIS was named in a criminal complaint filed last week in U.S. District Court in Chicago with one count of Bank Robbery, which is a felony offense. HARRIS was charged in the complaint with the January 16 robbery of the North Community Bank branch, located at 448 North Wells Street.

According to the complaint, HARRIS was linked to the January 16 robbery by an eyewitness, who saw him flee after the theft in a maroon-colored SUV with temporary Illinois license plates. A vehicle matching the description given by the witness was impounded by the CPD a few days later, following a traffic stop and drug arrest. Subsequent investigation by VCTF members, including a search of the impounded SUV, developed evidence linking HARRIS to the robbery and the charge announced today.

Though not charged, other robberies attributed to the “Wicker Park Bandit” are as follows:

1.December 13, 2011 - Chase Bank branch, 1700 North Wells

2.December 20, 2011 - North Community Bank branch, 2335 North Clark
3.December 22, 2011 - PNC Bank branch, 4440 North Broadway
4.December 30, 2011 - Chase Bank branch, 1350 North Wells
5.January 6, 2012 - North Community Bank branch, 1555 N. Damen
6.January 6, 2012 - North Community Bank branch, 1600 West Chicago Avenue
7.January 9, 2012 - Chase Bank branch, 1200 North State Parkway
8.January 21, 2012 - Chase Bank branch, 71 West Chicago Avenue
9.January 28, 2012  - Chase Bank branch, 3531 North Western Avenue. 

During all of the robberies, witnesses said that a lone robber entered the bank and approached a teller with a handwritten note asking for cash. He did not show any weapons or make any threats during the robberies and no injuries were reported in any of these incidents.

HARRIS appeared before Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez, earlier today, at which time he was formally charged.  HARRIS was ordered held without bond, pending his next scheduled court appearance. If convicted of the charge filed against him, HARRIS faces a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

This case was investigated by the Chicago FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force (VCTF), which is comprised of FBI special agents, detectives from the Chicago Police Department, and investigators from the Cook County Sheriff’s Police.

Additional information about this and other Chicago area bank robberies, including downloadable photographs, is available online at the Bandit Tracker Chicago website, www.bandittrackerchicago.com.

The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt and that all defendants in a criminal case are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Copies of the criminal complaint are available from the Chicago FBI’s press office at (312) 829-1199.

Seeking Information on Unknown Serial Bank Robber

The Chicago FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force is asking for the public’s help in identifying the individual depicted below. She is believed responsible for the January 5, 2012 armed robbery of the Charter One Bank branch, 2854 W. Cermak, Chicago, IL, and the attempted robbery of a Fifth Third Bank branch, 2710 N. Narragansett, IL, also on January 5, 2012.

The individual is further described as follows:

Race/Sex: Hispanic/Female

Age: 20-25
Hair: Black or brown
Height: 5’2” to 5’3”
Clothing: Winter jacket, winter hat, and eyeglasses

Anyone with information is asked to call the Chicago FBI office at (312) 421-6700, or your local FBI office or law enforcement agency.

The Chicago FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force is comprised of FBI special agents, detectives from the Chicago Police Department, and investigators from the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.

Additional information about this and other unsolved Chicago area bank robberies is available online at the Bandit Tracker Chicago website Bandittrackerchicago.com.

Raytown Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robberies of Brink’s Truck, Bank, and Restaurant

KANSAS CITY, MO—Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a third defendant has pleaded guilty to his role in the armed robbery of a Brink’s truck, as well as the armed robberies of a bank and a restaurant.

Gerald Jones, 21, of Raytown, Mo., pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to three armed robberies and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

Co-defendants Deangelo Colston, 21, of Raytown, and Larry Platt, 21, of Grandview, Mo., have also pleaded guilty to their roles in the Brink’s truck robbery. Colston also pleaded guilty to participating with Jones in the armed robberies at a bank and a restaurant, as well as to brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

Jones, Colston, and Platt have each admitted that they stole $130,000 at gunpoint from two Brink’s, Inc., employees who were delivering money to an ATM at Bank of America, 3100 Main, Kansas City, Mo., on Aug. 30, 2010.

According to court documents, the Brink’s armored vehicle was parked in the bank’s drive-through at about 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 30, 2010. The driver remained in the vehicle while another Brink’s employee serviced the ATM. Jones, Colston and Platt exited a vehicle that was parked next to the drive-through. One of the men pointed a semi-automatic handgun at the driver of the armored vehicle while two men held semi-automatic handguns on the second Brink’s employee who was opening the ATM. The Brink’s employee, who felt a gun pressed against his left ear and another at the back of his head, held both of his hands up. The armed robbers took two bags, one of which contained $130,000 in $20 bills and the other paperwork, then fled in a Ford SUV.

Law enforcement officers received an anonymous tip on Sept. 9, 2010, identifying Colston and Jones as two of the armed robbers. The caller said that Colston and Jones had spent approximately $2,500 taking a “crew” to Worlds of Fun, had been spending money at Independence Center, and that Jones had just purchased a Dodge Charger. Jones and Colston were arrested during a traffic stop the next day, Sept. 10, 2010. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the residence where Jones and Colston were staying and discovered a pillowcase containing 10 stacks of $20 bills banded together, a backpack containing 33 stacks of $20 bills bundled together, another pillowcase containing two stacks of $20 bills bundled together and a loaded Jimenez Arms 9mm semi-automatic handgun. Law enforcement officers searched Colston’s cell phone and obtained enough information to locate Platt.

Jones and Colston also admitted that they stole $1,055 at gunpoint from Hillcrest Bank, 5901 W. 107th St., Overland Park, Kan., on July 8, 2010. They also stole $3,669 at gunpoint from Buca de Beppo Restaurant, 310 W. 47th St., Kansas City, Mo., on Aug. 2, 2009.

Under federal statutes, Jones and Colston are each subject to a sentence of up to 25 years in federal prison without parole for armed bank robbery, up to 20 years in federal prison without parole for the Brink’s robbery and for the restaurant robbery, plus a consecutive mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison without parole for brandishing a firearm. Platt is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Barnes. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City Police Department (MO), the Raytown, Mo., Police Department and the Independence, Mo., Police Department.

Portland Man Sentenced to 103 Months in Federal Prison for Bank Robbery

Defendant Received an Enhanced Sentence as a Career Offender

PORTLAND, OR—Joseph Angel Giron, 42, of Portland, was sentenced today to 103 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Garr M. King, following his earlier conviction for bank robbery. In addition, the court placed him on three years of supervised release following his prison term and ordered him to pay full restitution to the bank.

Giron plead guilty to robbing the U.S. Bank, Citizens Branch, 636 SE Grand Avenue, Portland, on October 20, 2010. He used a demand note reading “Give Me All Your Money,” which he presented to the teller, who provided Giron with $3,481.

Responding Portland Police officers saw a man matching the description of the robber exiting a Tri-Met bus, wearing the same clothing and with distinct facial scars described by the victim teller. He was taken into custody, the bank loot was recovered, and Giron was positively identified by the victim teller when he was returned to the bank. Giron indicated he was “dope sick” and was a user of heroin.

Giron received an enhanced sentence as a career offender based on his prior felony convictions for a previous bank robbery and a robbery of a gas station.

This case was investigated by the PortlandPolice and the FBI. It was prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Johnathan Haub.

Dapper Bandit Robs His Second Manhattan Bank

Dressed in a dark suit in a white button-down dress shirt, the Dapper Bandit entered the Capital One Bank on 277 Broadway in Manhattan yesterday at roughly 12:30 p.m. The suspect entered the branch, displayed a handgun inside of his suit jacket, and fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash. The Dapper Bandit is described as a light-skinned black or Hispanic male, 5’10” to 6’ tall, 190 to 200 lbs, and medium build. He has short, black, curly hair with facial stubble. He was last seen wearing a dark suit and white button-down dress shirt. He was named the Dapper Bandit because he is well dressed during his bank robberies.

“The FBI is asking New Yorkers to be on the lookout for this suspect,” said Supervisory Special Agent Barbara Daly. “Someone somewhere knows this individual and we are asking them to call the FBI at 212-384-1000 with any information.”

A significant reward is available for a tip that breaks the case. Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI at 212-384-1000. Tipsters may remain anonymous. Other banks the Dapper Bandit has robbed:

■Capital One Bank, 57 West 57th Street, New York, NY

Port Arthur Man Sentenced for Armed Robbery Spree

BEAUMONT, TX—A 38-year-old Port Arthur, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in a crime spree targeting area businesses in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today.

Marcus Darnell Lee pleaded guilty on May 23, 2011, to charges of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and possession of a firearm during a during a crime of violence and was sentenced to 288 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone.

According to information presented in court, the crime spree began on Aug. 26, 2010, when Lee, Donte Ramone Burton, Howard James White, and others, conspired and committed a series of armed robberies of local businesses in Port Arthur and the surrounding area. During the commission of each robbery, the group took money and other items of value from these businesses by entering each business and directing the employees at gunpoint to surrender the business proceeds. In furtherance of the conspiracy, the group brandished firearms, used actual and threatened force, and violence, in order to compel the employees to surrender the property. Approximately 11 businesses were robbed in furtherance of the conspiracy, including, but not limited to: Gulfway Food Mart, Troy’s convenience store, Pakco #3 convenience store, Speedy Mart, Sunrise Grocery, and Amuny’s Liquor store. Lee participated in at least 10 of these robberies. At least one firearm was brandished during, and in furtherance of, the commission of every robbery. All of the businesses that were victims of the crime ring were engaged in interstate commerce. Further, the armed robbery of each business obstructed, delayed, and affected each business’ ability to operate in interstate commerce. Specifically, several businesses invested money to enhance the security features of their store, others closed at an earlier hour, and most saw a decline in business overall. The amount of business proceeds taken throughout the course of the conspiracy was in excess of $20,000. Lee’s role in the conspiracy was to collect money from the cash registers and other areas during each robbery and would then distribute the proceeds after the robbery. Prior to initiating each robbery, the group determined who would fill each role in the robbery. Once the robbery was complete, the group would allocate the proceeds between the participants.

Howard White pleaded guilty on June 14, 2011 to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and is currently awaiting sentencing.

Donte Ramone Burton is awaiting trial.

The case is being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is aimed at reducing gun and gang violence, deterring illegal possession of guns, ammunition and body armor, and improving the safety of residents in the Eastern District of Texas. Participants in the initiative include community members and organizations as well as federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

This case is being investigated by the Port Arthur Police Department, FBI, and ATF, and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Baylor Wortham.

“Bearded Bandit” Sentenced to 62 Years in Prison for Armed Robberies in the Charlotte Area

CHARLOTTE, NC—Michael Gene Terrelonge, 43, of Charlotte, also known as the “Bearded Bandit,” was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad, Jr. to 62 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, for the armed robberies of two Charlotte area banks and a Charlotte area credit union, announced Anne M. Tompkins, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Judge Conrad also ordered Terrelonge to pay $16,875.00 in restitution.

Terrelonge’s co-conspirator, Latries George, pled guilty to armed robbery charges in August 2010, and was sentenced to 66 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $4,313.00 restitution, joined and severally with Terrelonge. U.S. Attorney Tompkins is joined in making today’s announcement by Chris Briese, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Rodney D. Monroe of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD).

In March 2010, a superseding criminal indictment charged Terrelonge with robbing three banks in Charlotte: the Wachovia Bank branch at 10210 Couloak Drive, the Clearview Federal Credit Union at 2830 Boyer Street, and the RBC Bank branch at 1000 East Boulevard. After a two-day trial, on October 19, 2010, a federal jury found Terrelonge guilty of robbing each bank at gunpoint. According to trial evidence and court documents, Terrelonge was apprehended while fleeing from the scene of the October 1, 2009, armed robbery of the Wachovia Bank branch on Couloak Drive. In the get-a-way van driven by George, CMPD officers found the hat, mask, gloves, and 9mm semiautomatic pistol used to rob the Wachovia Bank branch. Terrelonge had a loaded .38 special revolver in his waistband and was wearing a bulletproof vest. Evidence presented at trial indicated that Terrelonge admitted to being the “Bearded Bandit,” and provided details of his involvement in a number of armed bank robberies in the area between 2004 to 2009.

“Over a period of five years the Bearded Bandit engaged in a series of bank robberies that terrorized our community,” said U.S. Attorney Tompkins. “The 62 year sentence imposed on Mr. Terrelonge ensures that he will no longer be able to threaten our citizens’ safety. This sentence also makes it clear that taking violent criminals off the streets is a top priority for this office, and should serve as warning that violent gun crime will not be tolerated and will be severely punished.” “The successful prosecution of Terrelonge and the 62-year sentence imposed upon him sends a clear message that violent criminals will be dealt with in a manner befitting the violent nature of their acts,” stated Special Agent in Charge Briese. “Although this case has ended successfully with a violent criminal removed from the streets, the FBI will continue to use all of its available resources to ensure the safety of this community, and one of the FBI’s most important resources in combating violent crime in Charlotte is our partnership with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department,” Briese added. “We are glad our officers were able to provide assistance in this case,” said Chief Monroe. “Any time we assist in apprehending chronic offenders, it only reiterates the strong working relationship that we have with our federal agency partners. ”

Terrelonge has been in local federal custody since he was arrested in December 2009. Upon designation of a federal facility, he will be transferred into custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole. The investigation was handled by CMPD and the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria K. Vento, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Jones, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.

Bank Robbery Spree

Egg Harbor Township Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Robbery Spree That Spanned from New Jersey to Texas


March 16, 2010 - CAMDEN—An Egg Harbor Township man pleaded guilty today to his role in a string of bank robberies in New Jersey and Texas, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Jerell Mulkey, 25, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jerome B. Simandle to six counts of bank robbery—three which he committed in New Jersey and three which he committed in Houston. Mulkey agreed to plead to the Texas bank robberies in New Jersey rather than in Texas. Judge Simandle continued the defendant’s detention and scheduled sentencing for June 25, 2010.

At his plea hearing, Mulkey admitted to robbing the following banks of the following amounts of money on the following dates:

• Feb. 27, 2009 PNC Bank, Absecon $4,000

• Mar. 9, 2009 Capital One Bank, Houston $4,000

• Mar. 19, 2009 J.P. Morgan Chase, Houston $5,000

• Apr. 6, 2009 PNC Bank, Lawrenceville, $1,900

• Apr. 10, 2009 Bank of America, Hammonton $1,400

• Apr. 23, 2009 Wachovia Bank, Houston $14,000

Mulkey admitted that for each of the bank robberies, he entered the bank and presented a demand note to a teller. The demand note threatened that Mulkey had a gun. Mulkey further admitted that for the Apr. 6 and 10 robberies, his accomplice helped him escape by driving away from the area of the bank after Mulkey robbed it. Chade Harris, 22, of Trenton, pleaded guilty before Judge Simandle on November 17, 2009 to aiding and abetting Mulkey in the Apr. 6 and 10 robberies. Harris is scheduled to be sentenced on March 18, 2010 at 1:30 p.m.

On April 27, 2009, Mulkey was arrested in Houston by the FBI’s Houston Bank Robbery Task Force after agents with the FBI’s Newark Division developed information that Mulkey had traveled to Houston. When New Jersey FBI agents notified Houston FBI agents, the agents in Texas quickly realized Mulkey may have also been responsible for three bank robberies that had recently occurred there.

“This is a textbook example of how the prompt interaction between and among state and federal authorities can remove dangerous criminals from our streets. The cooperative efforts of all the dedicated law enforcement professionals in this case were truly exemplary,” Fishman said.

Each count of bank robbery to which Mulkey pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the aggregate loss to the victims or gain to the defendant. In determining an actual sentence, Judge Simandle will consult the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide appropriate sentencing ranges that take into account the severity and characteristics of the offenses, the defendant's criminal history, if any, and other factors. The judge, however, is not bound by those guidelines in determining a sentence.

Parole has been abolished in the federal system. Defendants who are given custodial terms must serve nearly all that time.

Fishman credited Special Agents of the FBI’s Trenton and Atlantic City Resident Agencies, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Ward in Newark, New Jersey, Special Agents of the FBI’s Houston Bank Robbery Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Richard C. Powers in Houston, Texas, and the Lawrence Township, Hammonton, Atlantic City, Egg Harbor Township, and Absecon police departments with the investigation leading to the defendant’s guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Stephen Stigall of the Criminal Division in Camden.