Wife in Bank-Robbing Duo Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Prison

BIRMINGHAM—A federal judge today sentenced a Sarasota, Fla., woman to nearly six years in prison for a bank robbery spree she undertook with her husband, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and FBI Special Agent in Charge Patrick Maley.

U.S. District Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Angela Shuttleworth, 21, to 70 months in prison for robbing or attempting to rob six banks in Alabama, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida. She pleaded guilty to the six bank robbery counts in October. Her husband, Neil Shuttleworth, 27, has pleaded guilty to bank robberies in Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida. Those cases are being prosecuted in federal court in South Carolina, where he will be sentenced.

“This duo fashioned themselves as a modern-day version of Bonnie and Clyde, traveling the Eastern seaboard and the Midwest, robbing or attempting to rob banks as they went,” Vance said. “Angela Shuttleworth showed no regard for the well-being of the innocent people inside the banks she robbed or for the peace and security of the cities and towns where she committed her crimes.”

“This defendant and her husband spread their crimes across several states, but the FBI and its law enforcement partners worked together to track the couple’s string of bank robberies and bring the pair to justice,” Maley said.

The Alabama bank the Shuttleworths have pleaded guilty to robbing was a Compass Bank in Florence. According to court documents, Angela Shuttleworth entered that bank on Jan. 7, 2011, and robbed it of $4,276 by using a demand note. She was arrested after an off-duty Florence police officer caught her outside of the bank.

In the Florence robbery, as in all others for which Angela Shuttleworth is charged, Neil Shuttleworth wrote the threatening demand note and drove his wife to the bank where she went in and presented it to a bank teller. Angela Shuttleworth received money from the teller in five of the six cases she pleaded guilty to.

The FBI and Florence Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Terence M. O’Rourke prosecuted the case.

Two Cops and a Civilian

Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added one civilian police official and two police officers who have authored books: Stephen M. Hennessy; Wendell Godfrey; and, LeMay Johnson.

Stephen M. Hennessy is a thirty five year law enforcement veteran serving in progressively responsible management and leadership positions with the FBI, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, and the Phoenix Police Department (Arizona). During his career he coordinated complex criminal investigations for many years as well as was responsible for a forensic laboratory, a statewide computer history and information system, and other administrative areas of law enforcement organizations such as finance, budget, research, and legislative matters. He holds a master's degree in curriculum and instruction and a doctorate in educational leadership.

Stephen M. Hennessy is the author of Thinking Cop, Feeling Cop: A Study in Police Personalities. According to the book description, “a groundbreaking resource for police executives, officers on the street, media representatives, trainers and others involved in the fields of civil and criminal justice. This book explores the roles of personality types and how they affect the daily lives of law enforcement officials. Stephen Hennessy breaks down the communication patterns and management styles necessary to be a successful police officer and discusses the strengths and weakness of each style. This insightful book opens doors to understanding the role of women in law enforcement and highlights ways to deal with conflicts police officers may have with other professions.”

In 1981, Wendell Godfrey graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a BS in Criminal Justice. He has served most of his adult life as a police officer with small, medium and large departments. His last law enforcement assignment was as the chief of police of the Florence Police Department (Mississippi). He is the author of Valley of the Shadow: The Maelstrom.

According to the description of Wendell Godfrey’s book, “a thriller crime novel written by a veteran Police Chief like none other you've read. If your idea of motorcycle gangs is limited to Hell's Angels and Bandidos, think again. If you think identity theft, kidnapping, and missing children only happen in big cities and police stories, brace yourself. In a child abduction drama written by a real cop, feel the cut of the knives and hear the blaze of the guns as outlaw bikers ride their way through a murder mystery in which only superior police tactics have any chance to prevail.”

LeMay Johnson writes under the pen name of Jon LeMay. He spent thirty years with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office (Minnesota). He retired as a captain. He is the author of Frogtown. According to one reviewer, Frogtown is “Earthy and realistic, this novel has all the elements to keep the reader interested page after page. Written by a veteran law enforcement officer adds a depth to the story making it all the more fascinating. Seldom does one get to enter the complex world of cops on the street with such insight. Hard to put down.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 625 police officers (representing 274 police departments) and their 1337 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.