Two Charged with Armed Bank Robbery

Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, today announced that a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging the crime of armed bank robbery against Raymond Spears, age 22, of Cleveland, Ohio, and Theodore Crawford, age 21, of South Euclid, Ohio.

The indictment alleges that on July 21, 2011, Raymond Spears robbed the Chase Bank located at 5400 Mayfield Road, Lyndhurst, Ohio, of $3,209 in U.S. currency. Further, on July 25, 2011, Raymond Spears and Theodore Crawford robbed the Home Savings Bank, located at 7707 Mentor Avenue, Mentor, Ohio, of $6,578. Both robberies involved the use of a dangerous weapon or device.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

If convicted, Spears’ and Crawford’s sentences will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendants’ prior criminal records, if any, the defendants’ roles in the offenses, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

The indictment was presented to the grand jury by Assistant United States Attorney Blas E. Serrano.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.