May 6, 2014

Father and Daughter Bank Robbers Sentenced

DALLAS—Convicted bank robbers John Charles Applewhite and his daughter, Shelby Dawn Applewhite, have been sentenced for their roles in robbing three banks in Dallas in May 2013, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.

John Applewhite, 50, who pleaded guilty in October 2013 to three counts of bank robbery, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey to serve a total of 184 months in federal prison. He was on supervised release for another bank robbery conviction at the time he reoffended.

Shelby Applewhite, 23, was sentenced in March 2014 to serve 60 months in federal prison. She pleaded guilty in November 2013 to one count of conspiracy to commit those three bank robberies.

The defendants admitted that they committed the following bank robberies in Dallas:

May 1, 2013: Citibank, 14909 Coit Road
May 10, 2013: Veritex Community Bank, 14885 Preston Road
May 15, 2013: ViewPoint Bank, 5941 Forest Lane


According to documents filed in the case, for each of these robberies, John and Shelby Applewhite drove in separate vehicles to the vicinity of the respective banks with the specific intent to commit bank robbery. They switched vehicles with each other and altered a license plate prior to each bank robbery to facilitate the bank robbery and avoid detection by law enforcement. Prior to each robbery, Shelby Applewhite entered the bank to learn the layout of the bank’s interior and obtain information about bank personnel, to include whether or not there was a security guard on duty. She reported all the information to John Applewhite, who used it to commit the bank robbery.

In each bank robbery, John Applewhite disguised his identity by wearing a hoodie, scarf or mask, sunglasses, and gloves. He also used a dangerous weapon that he pointed at tellers, causing them to fear for their lives.

The FBI and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Robinson prosecuted.