Anchorage Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Robbing Same Bank Three Separate Times

Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that an Anchorage man has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in three separate bank robberies of the same Wells Fargo branch on Debarr Road, occurring on July 7, 2017; April 3, 2018; and April 16, 2018.  

Christopher Hatting, 38, of Anchorage, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason, to serve four years in prison for each bank robbery, to be served concurrently, followed by five years of supervised release, after previously pleading guilty as charged to three counts of bank robbery.  Hatting’s co-defendants from the April 3, 2018, robbery were sentenced last week.  Bethany McKeel, 31, of Anchorage, was also sentenced to serve four years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, after previously pleading guilty to one count of bank robbery.  Derrick Moore, 29, of Anchorage, was sentenced to serve 56 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after previously pleading guilty to one count of bank robbery.

According to court documents, on April 3, 2018, Hatting, Moore, and McKeel drove together to the Wells Fargo branch on Debarr Road in a GMC Yukon SUV.  As McKeel parked and waited at a nearby cul-de-sac, Moore and Hatting ran inside the bank.  Hatting, wearing a camouflaged jacket, entered the bank wielding a realistic air-pistol, with Moore, who was wearing a dark jacket and holding a bag.  The two stole approximately $15,316 from several teller stations by threatening tellers and clientele with the pistol wielded by Hatting, while Moore went from teller to teller collecting the stolen money into his bag.  Hatting and Moore then rejoined McKeel in the Yukon and left the area.  The three then abandoned the vehicle, which was discovered the following day by APD officers.  The vehicle was found to contain evidence linking the three to the bank robbery, including the jackets they wore, the air-pistol, and a credit card in Hatting’s name.

McKeel and Moore were arrested on April 25, 2018, and Hatting was ultimately arrested on May 15, 2018, while hiding in a secluded property in Eagle River.  After Hatting was arrested for his role in the April 3, 2018, bank robbery, it was revealed that that he was responsible, along with other individuals, for two other robberies of the same Wells Fargo branch location – one committed the previous year on July 7, 2017, and the other committed on April 16, 2018. 

Specifically, on July 7, 2017, Hatting was driven to the Wells Fargo branch by another co-conspirator, who waited in the parked car in a nearby cul-de-sac.  Hatting applied makeup on his face and put cotton balls in his cheeks in an attempt to disguise himself.  Both the makeup and cotton balls had been shoplifted by Hatting shortly before the bank robbery.  Once he entered the bank, Hatting approached a teller with a note demanding money, which he had created from letters cut out of a magazine.  Hatting stole approximately $3,000 from the teller before exiting the bank and rejoining his co-conspirator.  On April 16, 2018, Hatting again entered the same Wells Fargo branch, by himself, masked, and holding what appeared to be a pistol.  He stole approximately $4,101 before leaving the area with a co-conspirator. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Anchorage Police Department (APD) conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of this case.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander.