Federal Bank Robbery - 18 U.S.C. § 2113
If you or a loved one has been arrested for a bank robbery or attempted bank robbery, it's crucial to understand the gravity of the situation. With over 26 years of experience, I've successfully handled numerous federal cases, including those related to bank robberies. The consequences of a federal bank robbery charge can be severe, and it's important to have capable legal representation.
I know how the feds get involved in these bank robbery cases—how to deal with and mitigate them.
The federal crime of bank robbery is defined under 18 U.S.C. § 2113 as part of a comprehensive statute that has expanded to include other theft-related crimes. It also consists of the theft of an armored truck or bank messenger, a night depository, and an automatic teller machine (ATM).
This statute describes bank robbery as the taking, by force or intimidation, any money or property in the care, custody, or control of any bank, credit union, or savings and loan institution.
FBI Investigates Bank Robbery Cases
What you're looking at is that all banks are federally insured, so typically, I see that the FBI will investigate the case anytime there's a bank robbery. They pull all the cameras from the bank. They interview everybody, all the witnesses. They try to interview the defendant.
Of course, I never suggest that anybody talk to the FBI, especially if they're investigating you or a loved one for a bank robbery. The FBI then gives the case to the prosecutors, who will decide whether to file the case or not. However, because banks are federally insured, the United States Attorney's Office typically prosecutes cases if someone is charged with bank robbery.
Once the case is filed, it will be handled in downtown Los Angeles in the Central District, specifically at the Roybal Building. This is where your case would be prosecuted, and you would receive all the information related to your case.
Your attorney would then be able to represent you and try to get you out on some signature bond, property bond, or other condition. It's surprising how quickly the feds can get you into court once they arrest you.
You're usually there the same or next day unless there are some extenuating circumstances. So, you'd probably be on the 2:00 calendar on the 3rd Floor of the Roybal Building, 255 East Temple Street.
You would want an attorney there to represent you or a loved one in downtown Los Angeles for a federal bank robbery case.
They'll have to prove that you went into the bank intending to rob it. There will have to have been some threat or weapon used, and then, a lot of times, people will pass a note to the teller and rob the bank.
Most of the time, these people will get caught because of banks' various security features. The main ones are cameras, alarms throughout the bank, and security guards. So, it's not that easy to get away with a federal bank robbery.
Penalties for Federal Bank Robbery
As for the potential time in custody, several factors come into play. Your criminal history, including any previous serious felonies or theft-related offenses, will be considered. The amount of money involved in the robbery and whether a weapon was used will also impact the severity of the crime and the potential sentence.
Did you use a weapon for a gun, for example? That adds an extra enhancement to the crime. So, it depends on the facts and circumstances and the level of danger that you were involved with.
Judges and prosecutors in these bank robbery cases are looking to protect people's money and the public's safety, and if they feel that you are a danger to the public because you are committing armed bank robbery, for example.
That's going to impact whether you're able to get out on bail and influence what your potential sentence might be. If you have a prior conviction for a bank robbery, that would undoubtedly be something that would aggravate any sentence that you might receive.
Fighting Federal Bank Robbery Charges
So, typically, I will speak to the client in private under the cloak of the attorney/client privilege in these Los Angeles federal bank robbery cases. Hence, the client feels satisfied that I won't give out any information given to me.
I always stress the importance of honesty between the client and me. If the person is not sincere, they don't put me in the best position to defend them. I'll often get information from the prosecutors that I didn't know about because the client wasn't straightforward. It's crucial for the client to provide all the information so that I can have a complete evaluation of the case and be in the best position to negotiate and discuss the matter with the Assistant United States Attorney in downtown Los Angeles.
In some cases, they only wanted to give me the information they felt helped them rather than all the information so that I could have a complete evaluation of the case and be in the best position to negotiate and discuss the matter with the Assistant United States Attorney downtown Los Angeles.
Once we've thoroughly discussed your case, I'll review all the necessary discovery investigation paperwork that the prosecutors will provide and receive from the agent. I'll also conduct my own investigation if it's beneficial to your case, ensuring that no stone is left unturned in your defense.
If something hasn't been looked into that could be helpful to us, we can hire an investigator ourselves, equip that investigator with all the information and the police report, and then I'll meet with the investigator and talk to him about exactly what I want them to do to try to benefit us in our case.
After thoroughly reviewing the case and discussing it with you, I will speak to the prosecutor about the case. This is a crucial step as it helps us understand the prosecutor's perspective and the strength of their case. This, in turn, guides our defense strategy.
We need to decide whether we're going to fight it, and if so, what issues and angles we're going to attack or whether we're going to try to do damage control and mitigate it because the prosecutor has good evidence against us. Talking to them puts the other side's argument in focus. Then, we can decide exactly how we will handle the case.
So, pick up the phone if you or a loved one is charged with bank robbery related to a Los Angeles case. Set up a free consultation, and we can discuss the matter and see what I can do to assist you. This initial consultation is a crucial step towards understanding your case and devising a strong defense strategy.
