Man Arrested for Robbing the Bank Where His Girlfriend Worked

Earlier this month in Illinois, a man was arrested for bank robbery. This may not seem like an unusual crime, but it happened to be the bank at which his girlfriend worked. To make matters even stranger, he was robbing the bank to pay for her engagement ring. To top it off, the crime occurred on Valentine’s Day.

According to a report by the Daily Journal, the man lived in the Detroit area, and his girlfriend (at the time) lived in Illinois. He decided that he wanted to propose to her but didn’t have the money for an engagement ring. So he decided to rob a bank to pay for the ring. For some reason, he decided to rob the bank where his girlfriend worked.

The girlfriend, who had no idea that her boyfriend was one of the robbers, watched in horror as her coworker was robbed as she filled the ATM. Her boyfriend drove the getaway car. Once he returned home to Michigan, he got on a bus and went back to Illinois to comfort his girlfriend after the robbery. She didn’t know it was him until a surveillance photo came back clearly identifying him as one of the robbers. After that, he turned himself in to police.

The man was charged and recently convicted of the robbery, which got him a sentence of six and a half years. His accomplice was also caught a few days after the robbery and is awaiting sentencing, which will occur later this month.

Bank Robbery in Michigan Since banks often transfer money across state lines, federal prosecutors, police, and judges have jurisdiction over these types of crimes. In fact, bank robbery is a federal offense. That means that the cases are usually very well put together by skilled federal prosecutors and can often carry lengthy sentences when a defendant is convicted.

Bank robbery cases can often consist of other, less serious offenses that are charged at the same time. For instance, a defendant may be charged with bank robbery, assault, possession of an unlicensed firearm, etc. For example, pointing a weapon (even a fake one) at a bank teller is likely going to be charged as an assault. If the person accused of the bank robbery had previously been convicted of a felony, that may carry extra charges, since felons are not permitted to possess certain weapons.

It therefore becomes incredibly important for anyone charged with the federal offense of bank robbery in Michigan to secure the assistance of a dedicated Michigan criminal defense attorney. With their help, a defendant will ensure that the prosecution is being held to the highest burden in proving every element of the offense.

The prosecution will always be required to prove every element of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt. However, it is the defense attorney’s job to explain to the jury just how high this burden is: the highest in all the law.

Have You Been Charged With Bank Robbery or Assault in Michigan? If you have recently been charged with bank robbery or any kind of assault in the State of Michigan, you may be facing a serious prison sentence if you are found guilty. Therefore, you need to do everything you can to ensure that you are well represented throughout the entire trial process. That begins with retaining the services of a dedicated and experienced Michigan criminal defense attorney. Attorney Steven Schwartz has years of experience representing those charged with all kinds of serious crimes, including the felony offense of bank robbery. To learn more about his approach to his cases, give him a call at (248) 266-8720 or contact him online by clicking here.

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