St. Paul Man Sentenced for Bank Robbery

A 27-year-old St. Paul man was sentenced today in federal court for robbing a St. Paul TCF Bank on July 6, 2009. In Minneapolis, United States District Court Judge James M. Rosenbaum sentenced Donteh Lamont Smith to 37 months in prison on one count of bank robbery. Smith was indicted on July 22, 2009, and pleaded guilty on September 16, 2009.

In his plea agreement, Smith admitted taking $4,021 from the bank, located at 1988 Suburban Avenue East, in St. Paul. According to a Federal Bureau of Investigation affidavit, the bank was robbed at approximately 2:47 p.m., on July 6. The robber, later identified as Smith, walked into the bank and handed a teller a demand note that was wrapped around Smith’s Century College identification card.

The St. Paul Police Department, responding to the robbery, spotted Smith walking on Ruth Street, near Interstate 94. They stopped him because he matched the description of the robber. Smith was arrested, and during a subsequent search, police found cash stuffed in his pockets.

This case was the result of an investigation by the St. Paul Police Department and the FBI. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.