Cleveland Resident Charged in Recent Bank Robberies

Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, today announced that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment against John H. Ford, age 35, of Cleveland, Ohio, in connection with the recent robberies of three Northeast Ohio banks.

The six-count indictment alleges that Ford used force, violence and intimidation to rob the Huntington National Bank at 3793 Darrow Road, Stow, Ohio, of $3,722.00 on July 8, 2009, and of $2,111.00 on October 23, 2009, the First Merit Bank at 1675 Merriman Road, Akron, Ohio, of $12,641.00 on August 20, 2009, and the First Merit Bank at 9717 State Road 14, Streetsboro, Ohio, of $8,464.00 on November 19, 2009. Ford is also charged with using and carrying a .38 caliber revolver during and in relation to the November 19th robbery, and with possessing the revolver after having previously been convicted of several felony offenses.

The actual sentence in this case will be determined by the Court after consideration of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines which depend upon a number of factors unique to each case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the unique characteristics of the violation. In all case the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

The case was presented to the grand jury by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph P. Schmitz following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Akron, Stow, Streetsboro and Twinsburg, Ohio Police Departments.

An indictment is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.