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Press Release

Rockford Man Pleads Guilty To Bank Robbery

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois

ROCKFORD — A Rockford man pleaded guilty today in Federal Court to bank robbery.  PEDRO J. CORDERO, 52, of Rockford, Ill., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Kapala to the robbery of BMO Harris Bank, N.A., 2510 S. Alpine Rd., Rockford, Ill., on July 12, 2014.  Cordero also admitted to robbing two other local banks.

According to the written plea agreement, at approximately 10:00 a.m. on July 12, 2014, Cordero approached a teller at the counter of BMO Harris Bank, 2510 S. Alpine Rd., in Rockford, wearing an inside out San Antonio Spurs baseball cap and carrying a white and blue Kane County Cougars umbrella.  Cordero slid the teller a note demanding large bills out of the drawer and stated he had a gun.  The teller removed money and provided Cordero banded stacks of U.S. currency.  Cordero grabbed the money and left the bank.

The next day, Cordero was stopped by the Rockford Police for a traffic violation.  In his car, Cordero possessed the San Antonio Spurs baseball hat he wore and the blue and white Kane County Cougars umbrella that he carried the previous day during the BMO Harris Bank robbery, as well as a large amount of U.S. currency from the bank robbery.

In addition, Cordero admitted in the plea agreement to robbing the U.S. Bank located at 1107 East State St., Rockford, Ill., on May 8, 2014.  According to the plea agreement, Cordero wore a San Antonio Spurs baseball cap during the robbery.  Cordero approached a teller at the counter and slid the teller a note that indicated he had a gun.  Cordero then asked for large bills, told the teller not to activate any alarms and stated that he had a gun.  The teller provided Cordero with money which he grabbed and then left the bank.

Cordero also admitted in the plea agreement that on June 2, 2014, he robbed the Associated Bank located at 4400 Center Terrace, Rockford, Ill.  Cordero admitted that he wore an inside out San Antonio Spurs baseball cap and carried a blue and white Kane County Cougars umbrella during the robbery.  Cordero approached a teller at the counter and said he needed to make a withdrawal.  Cordero handed the teller a blank withdrawal slip, told the teller to give him all the large bills and that he had a gun.  The teller removed money, which Cordero grabbed and then left the bank.

Bank robbery carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, up to 5 years probation, a term of supervised release of up to 3 years following imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and full restitution.  The Court must impose a reasonable sentence guided by the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.  Sentencing for Cordero is set for January 13, 2015, at 2:30 p.m. 

The guilty plea was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert J. Holley, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Chet Epperson, Chief of the Rockford Police Department.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott R. Paccagnini.

Updated July 23, 2015