Texas Serial Bank Robber Receives 10 Years in Federal Prison

 Posted on May 29, 2025 in Federal Crimes

A man who robbed banks in Irving, Dallas, and Garland, Texas, while on supervised release for a prior bank robbery conviction, was recently sentenced to more than a decade in federal prison. Since the 1930s, the FBI has played a primary role in bank robbery investigations, beginning with notorious bank robbers John Dillinger and his gang. In 1934, robbing any national or state member bank of the Federal Reserve System became a federal crime.

The 43-year-old man in the example above was first convicted of bank robbery in 2018. At that time, he was sentenced to six years in prison.  He was released after serving his time, and less than five months later, he robbed three banks in Texas within the space of a week. After his arrest, he pleaded guilty to bank robbery in October 2024.

He was sentenced in federal court to ten years. If you are facing federal charges, whether for bank robbery or another federal crime, it is important that you have a highly experienced Texas federal criminal law attorney to build a solid defense on your behalf.   

What is Bank Robbery?

While it seems fairly straightforward, there are certain elements that must be present for a person to be convicted of bank robbery. There must be the presence of a weapon or the implication of a weapon. There must be some level of threat of injury or death to those in the bank. Money must be taken by the bank robber. The level of charges a person will face for bank robbery depends on:

• Whether anyone is injured or dies as a result of the bank robbery
• Whether a weapon or a stolen vehicle is used in the bank robbery
•  How many victims were impacted, and to what extent they were impacted
• The amount of money taken
• The defendant’s history of prior criminal offenses
• Whether there were accomplices

No weapon is required to be charged with bank robbery if there is an implication of a weapon. The bank robber may have presented a threatening note to the bank teller or bank manager or may have pretended to have a gun beneath his or her jacket. If a person is seriously injured or even killed during a bank robbery, the defendant could potentially face felony murder charges.

What Are the Federal Penalties for Bank Robbery?

Bank robbery is always a felony, which means that, at the low end of sentencing, a person convicted of bank robbery, even when less than $1,000 is taken, will spend at least a year in federal prison. If more than $1,000 is taken, the federal prison sentence could be up to ten years. Regardless of the amount of money taken, if force, violence, or intimidation is used during the bank robbery, the defendant could receive up to 20 years in federal prison.

If anyone’s life is placed in jeopardy as a result of the use of a dangerous weapon, or if anyone in the bank is assaulted, the sentence for the defendant can be up to 25 years in federal prison. If a bank robbery results in a kidnapping or death, the defendant faces a life sentence or even the death penalty.

Contact a Texas Federal Crimes Lawyer

If you are facing bank robbery charges – or any other type of federal charges – you need a highly experienced Texas federal crimes attorney from The Crowder Law Firm, P.C. who will aggressively fight your charges while building a solid defense on your behalf.  Attorney Crowder is extremely knowledgeable and zealous in her pursuit of the best outcome possible. Our firm has secured more than 300 not-guilty verdicts and acquittals for our clients. To schedule your free consultation, call 214-544-0061.