This case was something that you’d think came out of a Hollywood movie. It involves bank robbery, kidnapping and guns; all meticulously planned by the defendant. However in the end, unlike the A-Team, where the plan all came together; the defendant is currently serving 2 life sentences plus 20+ years.
This case was my second jury trial during my bailiff training, it was also the longest case I’ve worked since.
All serious felony cases take around two years from the date of incident/arrest to make their way to a jury trial.
The actual robbery took place after many months of planning by the defendant. The defendant and his family were going through extreme financial difficulties. He had no criminal record prior to this case and decided to solve his financial problems with this elaborate criminal plan to rob a bank. The defendant found his target bank and spent weeks and months along with his accomplices staking it out. They all knew who every employee was, what they did and where they lived by following them all home. The defendant picked the assistant manager because she was the one with the keys and opened the bank every day.
On the day of the robbery the defendant was dropped off at the assistant bank manager’s home by his wife. He pretended to be a delivery man, delivering a box to her husband. At the door, he forced his way into her home with a silenced pistol. The assistant manager was 8 months pregnant that day, she cooperated with the defendant, who told her that he wasn’t there to hurt her and that there’s a gang who has his son hostage; that they were watching them from outside and if things didn’t go as he says, they will kill his son. He also mentioned that they knew where her husband worked, where all her employees lived with accurate details. Whether she believed his story or not, he was armed with a silenced pistol and told he that no one would hear her if he shot her. She wasn’t just protecting herself, but her unborn child as well; the only way to survive is to comply with his demands.
The defendant had her drive them both to the bank in her car. He then told her to have a coworker come out of the bank so he could have assurances that she would get what he wanted done: get all of the cash in the vault without the trackers or paint and come back to the car. She was able to convince her coworker to come out to the car. The defendant then held her at gun point and told her the same story. He held the bank employee in the car while the assistant manager went in to get the money. She told the manager her situation and that they knew where he lived as well. She then came back with the money. The defendant then told her to drive away from the bank along with her coworker and himself. Once they were several blocks away, he had her park and then told them both to go back to the bank and to wait 15 minutes, then call the police and FBI and repeat to them his story. He told them to face forward until he was gone then they were free to go. He left with the money and was in the wind, free and clear- so he thought.
The assistant bank manager, her coworker and manager were all treated as suspects. The investigators initially didn’t believe her story and all the victims went through a lot of scrutiny until they were cleared.
Many months later, the defendant was arrested. His plan had failed. DNA evidence was left behind at one of the crime scenes. The investigators had an idea that the defendant was involved and followed him and collected a DNA sample that he left behind while they were watching him. The DNA was a match and not long after, he and his accomplices were all in custody.
During the whole trial, the defendant showed absolutely no remorse. He was actually upbeat when he thought the case was going in his favor. The jurors found him guilty of all counts.
On his sentencing day, 30 days later, he faked a fall while walking up to the courtroom in the back tunnel. He was sent to the hospital with two deputies. An x-ray revealed that he had foreign objects kestered up his you know what. There were two handcuff keys made from staples, a shoelace with toothpaste packages tied on each end (to choke out one of us). He failed again, this time to escape custody.
At the rescheduled sentencing day, he requested not to be present, which was denied. He then choose to stay inside the cage and cowered in there, never showing his face to anyone.
The victims read their impact statements and they all were greatly affected because of the incident. They all live in fear every single day.
Of the hundreds of thousands that were stolen, some of it was recovered, the rest unaccounted for.
One thing is for sure: the defendant will never see the outside of a prison for the rest of his days.