Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal Prison Without Parole for Bank Robbery in Runnels County

LUBBOCK, TX—Tony Anthony Johnson, 51, of Winters, Texas, was sentenced on Friday by U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 125 months in federal prison. Johnson pleaded guilty in November 2009 to one count of bank robbery, admitting that he robbed the Compass Bank in Winters on August 11, 2009.

According to documents filed in the case, at approximately 1:00 p.m. on August 11, 2009, Johnson entered the BBVA Compass Bank, 500 South Main, in Winters, closed out his savings account, and left the bank. A short time later, Johnson re-entered the bank, but left after one of the bank employees, who knew Johnson, spoke to him. About two or three minutes later, Johnson again entered the bank and went to the office of the bank employee that had spoken to him the second time he entered the bank. After they talked a few minutes, the employee realized Johnson was there to rob the bank.

Johnson told the employee not to press any alarms, and the employee saw that Johnson had a demand note in his hand. The employee directed Johnson, who had pulled white grocery sacks out of his pocket, to the teller area where the employee told the teller to give Johnson everything he wanted. The teller gathered money from her drawer and put it in the sacks Johnson provided. Johnson then hugged the bank employee and apologized for what he had done. He took the money and went out the front door, but then ran back inside the bank when he saw the police arriving. He then jumped over the teller counter and grabbed the teller around the throat with his arm and held a knife to her. Johnson released the teller and ran out the back door of the bank. He was arrested later the same day.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Winters Police Department. Deputy Criminal Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise Williams, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Lubbock, Texas, was in charge of the prosecution.