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INDIANAPOLIS–An Indianapolis man pled guilty to four counts of bank robbery this week. A judge sentenced him to more than 12 years in federal prison.
Court documents say that Jaquan Lavon Smith, 31, robbed four different federally insured banks between October 4 and October 18, 2021. Investigators say he stole nearly $25,000.
Police say Smith entered the Chase Bank branch near North Keystone Avenue. Once inside, they say Smith approached a teller and passed a robbery note that said, “This is a robbery, be quick about it.” The teller gathered $4,058 and gave it to Smith.
Over the next two weeks, police say Smith followed that same pattern of robbing banks and passing threatening notes to do it. The documents say Smith stole $10,000 from Tri County Bank and Trust in Bainbridge followed by $3,336 from a Chase Bank in Lawrence and then $7,469 from a BMO Harris Bank in Indianapolis.
FBI agents arrested Smith shortly after robbing the BMO Harris Bank on October 18.
“Again and again, this career criminal chose to terrorize innocent bank employees in his pursuit of what he believed would be easy cash,” Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “He returned to robbing banks soon after getting out on parole, undeterred by his prior prison sentence. Thanks to the hard work of the FBI, IMPD, Lawrence Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, and our federal prosecutor, the public will be protected for many years as he serves a very serious federal prison sentence.”
Investigators say Smith robbed six banks in Indianapolis and one in Hamilton County over a 20-day period in June and July 2018. Smith was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison. He was released from the Indiana Department of Corrections to parole on June 30, 2021. The charges to the 2018 Hamilton County bank robbery were pending he robbed the four banks in October 2021.
“The reign of terror of the defendant is over thanks to the outstanding investigative work and collaboration of the FBI and our law enforcement partners,” said Herbert J. Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office. “This sentence clearly demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to ensuring those who threaten bank employees and steal the peace of mind of residents of our community will pay the price.”
Smith was also ordered to be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years after he gets out of federal prison.
