Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Armed Bank Robbery Offense

ALBUQUERQUE—This morning in federal court in Albuquerque, David Mota, 22, entered a guilty plea to armed bank robbery and using a firearm during a crime of violence under a plea agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Mota will be sentenced to a 102-month term of imprisonment to be followed by up to three years of supervised release. Mota has been in federal custody since his arrest on August 5, 2010, and will remain detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

United States Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales said that Mota pled guilty to robbing the Bank of the West branch located at 5228 Central Avenue SW in Albuquerque (Bank of the West) at gunpoint on February 22, 2010. Court files reflect that as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Albuquerque Police Department (APD), Mota was charged with two armed bank robberies in a criminal complaint on August 2, 2010 and subsequently was indicted on those two offenses on August 25, 2010. The four-count indictment charged Mota was charged with: (i) armed robbery of the First Community Bank branch located at 5001 Montgomery in Albuquerque on January 22, 2010; (ii) using a firearm during the January 22, 2010 bank robbery; (iii) armed robbery of the Bank of the West on February 22, 2010; and (iv) using a firearm during the February 22, 2010 bank robbery.

This morning, Mota pled guilty to counts three and four of the indictment. In his plea agreement, Mota admitted robbing the Bank of the West at gunpoint on February 22, 2010. He admitted entering the bank, approaching a bank teller, and pointing a handgun at her. When another bank employee to flee from the counter area, Mota responded by brandishing the handgun at another employee and demanding that everyone remain in place by saying, “Don’t move! Nobody move!” Mota then demanded and obtained money from a bank teller and fled from the bank.

The case was investigated by the FBI and APD and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roberto D. Ortega.