Nevada Men Plead Guilty to Robbing Boise Banks

BOISE—Bryan Mark Johnson, 54, and Melvin Glen Lantis, 65, both of Las Vegas, Nevada, pleaded guilty today to robbing two Boise banks, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Johnson pleaded guilty to two counts of bank robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a bank robbery. Lantis pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery.

According to the plea agreement, Johnson admitted that on April 2, 2011, he entered the Wells Fargo Bank located at 10342 Overland Road in Boise, armed with a semi-automatic pistol, and demanded the teller give him money. He fled with the stolen money. Johnson also admitted that on April 22, 2011, he robbed Key Bank, located at 4920 Overland Road. As Johnson left the bank, a citizen followed him to his vehicle. Johnson admitted pointing his semi-automatic pistol at this individual, after which he entered the getaway vehicle driven by Lantis. The men were apprehended by Boise Police officers moments later. Lantis admitted to casing the bank on April 21, 2011.

Because Johnson has previously been convicted of a felony crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year, for a bank robbery conviction in Nevada in 2002, he is prohibited from possessing firearms.

Johnson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years to life in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill on January 5, 2012. Lantis could be sentenced up to 25 years and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 6, 2012.

The case was investigated by the Boise Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.