Two Men Plead Guilty to Armed Robbery of Citibank in Alameda

OAKLAND, CA—Calvin Earl Odom, Jr. and Craig Goatley pleaded guilty in federal court in Oakland yesterday to armed bank robbery, announced United States Attorney Melinda Haag and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Johnson.

In pleading guilty, Odom and Goatley admitted to committing the armed robbery of the Citibank located at 1526 Webster Street in Alameda, California. According to the plea agreements, Odom entered the bank first, pretending to be a customer and interacting with a bank employee in the customer area. Goatley entered the bank next and stood in the teller line. When Goatley was called forward by the next available teller, he brandished what appeared to be a handgun, but was actually a pellet gun, and demanded money. The frightened teller tossed money from her drawer at Goatley. Goatley also took money from the neighboring teller. While Goatley was robbing the tellers, Odom pulled out what appeared to be black handgun, but was actually a pellet gun, and told the bank employee with whom he had been interacting that this was a robbery and not to move. When Goatley was finished robbing the victim tellers, Goatley and Odom fled the bank, stealing $8,869.

Odom, 25, of Berkeley, and Goatley, 27, of Oakland were arrested on August 14, 2013, by local law enforcement for separate charges and remained in local custody related to those charges. Odom and Goatley were indicted on October 10, 2013.

Odom’s and Goatley’s sentencing hearings are scheduled for April 10, 2014, before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. The maximum statutory penalty for armed bank robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a) and (d), is 25 years in prison. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

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 Alameda Police Department and the FBI.