Minneapolis Man Sentenced for Robbing TCF Bank

MINNEAPOLIS—Earlier today in federal court in St. Paul, a 49-year-old Minneapolis man was sentenced for robbing the TCF National Bank branch located at 1444 West Lake Street in Minneapolis on March 28, 2012. United States District Judge Donovan W. Frank sentenced Brady Anthony Johnson to 156 months in prison on one count of bank robbery. Johnson, who was indicted on April 9, 2012, pleaded guilty on June 25, 2012.

In his plea agreement, Johnson admitted that on March 28, 2012, he stole approximately $3,846 from the bank after making gestures that led the teller to believe he had a gun. According to a law enforcement affidavit filed in the case, a man, later identified as Johnson, waited at the door of the bank until it opened. He then entered, grabbed a deposit slip, and approached the counter. He handed the teller a demand note while stating, “This is a robbery.” When the teller did not immediately react, the man warned, “This isn’t a joke. This is a robbery. Look at the note. Give me all the 50s and 100s. I have a gun, and I will shoot you.”

Thanks to the Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking device the teller secretly inserted into the pack of money given to the robber, police were able to determine that after leaving the bank, the robber boarded a metro bus. Near the intersection of West 24th Street and Harriet Avenue South, officers stopped the bus and apprehended Johnson, who matched the description of the robber. While searching Johnson, authorities found the stolen cash, the GPS device, and the demand note.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Minneapolis Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin S. Ueland.