Warren Man Sentenced To More Than Six Years In Federal Prison For Robbery Of Kent Bank In Freeport

ROCKFORD — A Warren, Ill. man was sentenced today in federal court for armed bank robbery. The defendant, Derrick W. Holmes, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Kapala to 76 months in federal prison for the robbery of Kent Bank, 996 West Fairview Road, Freeport, Ill., on Sept. 26, 2013. The court also ordered Holmes to pay restitution of $6,338 to Kent Bank.

Holmes pled guilty to the charge on Jan. 27, 2014. According to the written plea agreement, on Sept. 26, 2013, at approximately 1:05 p.m., Holmes entered Kent Bank while wearing gloves, dark glasses, and a blue knit stocking type hat covering his face. Holmes approached the teller counter, raised his arm and pointed a BB gun pistol at an employee of Kent Bank. Holmes told the teller and the other tellers present to give him all their money, put their teller drawers on the counter and that no one will get hurt. The teller pulled a teller drawer and put it on the counter in front of Holmes. Holmes took $6,338 out of the teller drawer stuffed it in his pants pockets. Holmes then walked out of the bank and fled on a motorcycle.

Holmes also admitted in his written plea agreement that on Sept. 26, 2013, he attempted to enter the Community Bank, 401 South Church Street, Orangeville, Ill., in order to rob it but was unable to enter the bank because bank employees locked the doors when they saw Holmes approaching the bank wearing a navy blue ski mask. Holmes has been in federal custody since his arrest by the Nashville, Tenn. Police Department on October 6, 2013.

The sentencing 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; David Snyders, Sheriff of Stephenson County; and Mark Rohloff, Sheriff of Green County, Wisconsin.

The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Pedersen.