Man Arrested in Phoenix Faces His 28th Bank Robbery Charge

By Law Offices of Joshua S. Davidson, PLC | Apr 02, 2014
Monday, March 17, a man who has previously been convicted of bank robbery was arrested by officers near the scene of a bank heist in Phoenix. The 60-year-old suspect was taken to Maricopa County jail and faces several bank robbery charges. He has been charged with 27 counts of bank robbery before, during arrests in 1988 and 1999, arrests which turned into jail sentences. Phoenix officials and the FBI have been trying to find this man since February, based on his suspected theft of four Phoenix banks earlier. Officials had a description of a suspect to work with and mounted surveillance cameras in downtown banks. A task-force member thought they saw someone who fit the description pass by on a bicycle, later to hide it before walking into a downtown Phoenix bank. Surveillance cameras then captured the man tugging his baseball cap to hide his face from cameras, approaching a teller, and handing them a demand note. He put an undisclosed amount of cash into his wallet and left the bank, where police were waiting to arrest him.

If You’re Charged as a Repeat Offender, You’re Looking at Serious Penalties

On its own, a robbery offense is a class 4 felony. And anyone can face this charge if they are accused of threatening someone to hand over property, or to not stop them from taking property. The penalties upon conviction could include a prison sentence of 1.5 to 3 years. And that is just for a first time charge. If someone is facing a third felony conviction, this could escalate that prison sentence to one of 8 to 12 years. These sentences can be increased if the charges include the allegation that there were other partners involved in the alleged offense, making the charge one of aggravated robbery, which again would still not involve a weapon. Also, the penalties would also vary a great deal if one is being charged as a repeat offender:
  • First-time aggravated robbery offense: 2.5 to 7 years in prison
  • Aggravated robbery offense for category 3 repeat offender: 10 to 20 years in prison
Finally, you do not even need to be accused of having a weapon during an alleged robbery in order to be charged with armed robbery. If you are charged with “simulating” a weapon, such as by using a plastic weapon or using your hand to look like a weapon in your pocket, you can still be charged with armed robbery, a class 2 felony:
  • First-time armed robbery offense: 4 to 10 years in prison
  • Armed robbery offense for category 3 repeat offender: 14 to 28 years in prison
Then of course, there is the penalty of a criminal record, which can follow you wherever you go, closing the doors to numerous opportunities in life. While some charges are clearly more serious than others, there is really no such thing as a minor theft charge. Your rights, your freedom, and your future could all be at stake. When you or someone you know faces such life-altering charges, you cannot afford to be without the best criminal defense lawyer in Phoenix you can find. At the Law Offices of Joshua S. Davidson, PLC, you can get the powerhouse defense you deserve from a former prosecutor. Not only does he have the experience to anticipate how the prosecutor in your case will work, but he also has the skill as a legal defender to produce successful case results for his clients. Learn more when you schedule your free consultation with our Phoenix criminal defense attorney today. Call our office anytime, or fill out a free case review to learn how you can beat a theft charge!

Categories : Felony, Theft

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