Modesto Man Indicted for Seven Armed Bank Robberies
| U.S. Attorney’s Office January 31, 2013 |
FRESNO, CA—A federal grand jury returned a nine-count indictment today charging Anthony Edward Fuerst, 51, of Modesto, with seven counts of armed bank robbery and two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
According to court documents, Fuerst was arrested after he robbed two Modesto banks in less than two hours. During those robberies, he brandished a sawed-off shotgun. Further investigation revealed that he was responsible for five other armed bank robberies in Modesto. They are as follows:
- Citibank, 1340 Oakdale Rd.: March 9, 2012; June 12, 2012; and August 27, 2012;
- Farmers and Merchants Bank, 901 N. Carpenter Road, August 13, 2012;
- Chase Bank, 2609 McHenry Avenue, on September 17, 2012;
- Farmers and Merchants Bank, 3001 McHenry Avenue, January 18, 2013; and
- BBVA Compass Bank, 2601 Oakdale Road, January 18, 2013.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Modesto Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Melanie L. Alsworth is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Fuerst faces a maximum statutory penalty for each count of armed bank robbery of 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The mandatory minimum statutory penalty for the first count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence is 10 years’ imprisonment, with a maximum of life imprisonment. A subsequent conviction for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence carries a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of 25 years, with a maximum of life imprisonment. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
The charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.