Cottage Grove Woman Pleads Guilty to Robbing Maplewood Bank
| U.S. Attorney’s Office January 21, 2010 |
A 30-year-old Cottage Grove woman pleaded guilty today in federal court to the August 29, 2009, robbery of a Wells Fargo Bank in Maplewood. Appearing before United States District Court Judge David S. Doty in Minneapolis, Ma Myrrelli Juanillo Asuncion pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. Asuncion was indicted on September 23, 2009.
In her plea agreement, Asuncion admitted taking $2,487 from the bank and making up the story that she was forced to rob the bank to protect her children. According to an affidavit filed in the case, Asuncion entered the bank and passed a teller a note that stated she needed $15,000, or her children would be harmed. The teller complied, giving Asuncion all the money in his drawer. Asuncion then handed the teller another note stating she was being forced to commit the robbery. In the plea agreement, Asuncion admitted signing the second note with a false name. Asuncion turned herself into the Federal Bureau of Investigation on August 30, 2009.
Asuncion faces a potential maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for her crime. Judge Doty will determine her sentence at a future date. This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Maplewood Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tricia A. Tingle.