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Press Release

Masked Baton-Wielding Bandit Sentenced To 78 Months In Prison For Oakland Bank Robbery Spree

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of California

OAKLAND – Noah Blue was sentenced on October 10, 2014, to 78 months in prison for a summer bank robbery spree in Oakland, announced United States Attorney Melinda Haag and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Johnson.

In pleading guilty, Blue admitted to committing the following bank robberies:

Date

Bank

Location

Amount Stolen

7/26/2013

Bank of the West

2023 Mountain Boulevard, Oakland

$1,805

8/1/2013

Bank of the West

2023 Mountain Boulevard, Oakland

$684

8/26/2013

Bank of the West

2023 Mountain Boulevard, Oakland

$1,849

9/4/2013

Chase Bank

3310 International Boulevard, Oakland

$1,732

During the commission of the robberies, Blue entered the banks hooded with his face masked and wearing gloves. Blue passed the victim tellers notes announcing that he was robbing the bank and demanded they give him money. In his Aug. 26, 2013 robbery of the Bank of the West, Blue, armed with an 18-inch baton, jumped the teller counter and confronted the victim tellers face to face. Blue raised the baton at one victim teller and threated to beat her if she did not give him money.

Blue, 22, of Oakland, was arrested on Sept. 4, 2013. He was charged by federal criminal complaint on Oct. 17, 2013, and a grand jury returned an indictment on Oct. 24, 2013, charging him with one count of armed bank robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a) and (d), and three counts of unarmed bank robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a). Blue pleaded guilty on July 18, 2014, without an agreement with the government, admitting all four of the charged bank robberies. Blue was remanded into custody after he pleaded guilty to the charged offenses.

The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Jon S. Tigar, United States District Court Judge. Judge Tigar sentenced Blue to 78 months in prison to be followed by a 5-year period of supervised release. Blue was also ordered to pay full restitution to Bank of the West. The money stolen from the Chase Bank was seized at the time of Blue’s arrest.

Brian C. Lewis is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Janice Pagsanjan. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Oakland Police Department and the FBI.

(Blue complaint )

(Blue indictment )

 

 

Updated November 18, 2014

Press Release Number: 8/1/2013