Bank Robber Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison

EUGENE, OR—Anthony Phillipe Valenzuela, 49, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken to 57 months in federal prison for the crime of bank robbery. Following his release from prison Valenzuela will be on supervised release for a period of three years. The defendant was ordered to pay $620 in restitution to the victim bank.

The investigation arose from defendant’s December 12, 2008, robbery of the Key Bank located on West 11th Ave., Eugene, Oregon. Defendant handed the teller a note that stated “This is a robbery!! Don’t include the dye pack or bait money.” The teller placed $620 in an envelope and handed it to defendant, who left the bank.

On December 17, 2008, from a motel room in Boise, Idaho, defendant called Boise County dispatch and reported that he wanted to confess to a bank robbery in Oregon. The defendant further said that he had told someone what he had done and they were going to turn him in. Two Boise police officers contacted defendant at his motel room. During an interview with the officers, defendant admitted that he robbed a Key Bank in Eugene, Oregon on December 12, 2008. The officers arrested defendant. Defendant subsequently gave permission for Boise FBI agents to search his motel room. The search revealed hotel and bus receipts placing defendant in Eugene, Oregon during the time of the bank robbery. From a photo line-up, the victim teller identified defendant as being the bank robber.

The defendant has prior convictions for weapons offenses and assault.

The Eugene Resident Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Eugene Police Department and the Boise Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey S. Sweet handled the prosecution of the case.