Former Dallas Firefighter Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Bank Robbery Charge
| U.S. Attorney’s Office September 18, 2012 |
DALLAS—Jesus Ventura, age 37, of Irving, Texas, appeared this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renée Harris Toliver and pleaded guilty to an indictment charging one count of bank robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas. Ventura, who has been in custody since his arrest, faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade on January 10, 2013.
According to the factual resume filed in the case, on April 10, 2012, Ventura robbed the Chase Bank, located at 1881 Sylvan Avenue in Dallas.
The affidavit filed with the criminal complaint states that when Ventura entered the bank, he asked an employee if he could use the restroom. The employee provided Ventura with the door code and informed him that the restroom was located in the office building’s lobby. Ventura left the bank lobby but soon returned and was greeted by a teller offering her assistance. Ventura replied in a low-toned voice, “I am sorry to do this to you, I really am. Give me all the money.”
The affidavit further states that the teller, who had only been employed at the bank for two weeks, stared at the robber, and he repeated several more times for her to give him the money. She stood at the counter, and Ventura’s voice became more aggressive when he said, “Give me all the money” and raised his black backpack as he continued demanding money. The teller feared that he had a weapon in the backpack. She gave Ventura the money, and he took a $20 bill from the money and slid it underneath the glass to the teller and stated, “Here is a tip for you.”
Officers with the Dallas Police Department (DPD) arrested Ventura a short time after the robbery. Officers recovered no weapon but recovered the black backpack and the money stolen from Chase Bank.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the DPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Robinson is in charge of the prosecution.