Bank robbery is a serious federal offense that will be prosecuted to fullest extent of the law by the United States of America. All bank robberies are investigated by the FBI, with the counterfeiting of currencies being under the purview of the Secret Service.
Bank Robbery by the Numbers
Texas is 2nd only to California in the number of average annual bank robberies with Pennsylvania and Florida trailing close behind.
According to Federal Bank Crime Statistics, over 4000 bank or armored truck robberies occurred in 2015, and although many arrest were made, many of the accused were innocent.
If you were accused of taking part in, planning, or executing a bank robbery or armored truck robbery, contact The Gagliardi Law Firm, PLLC by calling us direct, at 713-224-6277. We offer free initial consultations and have a wealth of experience defending those who are facing federal prosecution.
Understanding Bank Robbery Charges
Texas law defines robbery as a theft action that occurs as a result inciting fear in the victim(s) for the purpose of gaining control of the environment or property where the crime is being committed.
With nearly every financial institution in Texas holding some form of federal insurance (NCUA & FDIC), any time any form of bank crime is committed one would be safe to assume it will be a federal offense subject to immediate FBI investigation.
Criminal Penalties If Convicted
All bank robbery cases are different. Each bank robbery has different circumstances.
If the defendant is convicted, they’ll be penalized in-line with the severity of the event notwithstanding any aggravating circumstances.
Below, we’ve listed a few examples of different types of criminal penalties applicable to differing circumstances during bank robberies.
- Prison terms for bank robberies of less than 1,000.00, with no aggravating factors, are usually capped at 1 year.
- Prison sentencing for a bank robbery of less that 1,000.00, with aggravating factors, can net a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
- If a bank robber uses a weapon, or other device that can be seen as dangerous, in the commission of a bank crime, they can be sentenced to 25 years in a federal correctional facility.
- If someone was killed during the commission of the robbery they may face the death penalty.
Experienced Federal Defense Lawyers
We know how to defend bank robbery suspects. Our first objective is to obtain and review all the evidence against you, and to ensure that your rights were not violated in the process of law enforcement gathering their evidence. The Gagliardi Law Firm, PLLC will act with haste when it comes to getting illegally obtained evidence thrown out of court, which may result in a case dismissal.
In the event that the evidence against you is overwhelming, it may be best to seek a plea agreement with the government. In any case, going to trial on a federal criminal case should be avoided at all costs, unless the situation is overly dire, and demands such.
SPECIAL NOTE: Federal prosecutors have an unlimited legal fund which makes taking a case to trial highly undesirable for most defendants.
If you’re being investigated by the FBI, or think you might be, NOW is the time to secure legal representation as your life may depend on it. If you’re ready to talk to an experienced federal criminal defense lawyer, call Atty. Gagliardi (Joe) at 713-224-6277 today, or send us a message using the contact form.