Man Sentenced for Sugar Land Bank Robbery and Others in Multiple States

HOUSTON – A 50-year-old Louisiana man has been ordered to federal prison in relation to the September 2015 robbery of BBVA Compass Bank in Sugar Land, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Charles Wood, of Farmersville, Louisiana, pleaded guilty Aug. 12, 2016, admitting he robbed the local bank and banks in four other states. 

Today, U.S. District Judge Sim Lake granted the government’s request for an upward departure and ordered Woods to serve a total of 84 months in prison. Woods will also be required to serve three years of supervised release following completion of the prison term.

On Sept. 14, 2015, Wood entered the BBVA Compass Bank located at 14121 North Southwest Freeway in Sugar Land. He pulled out a black BB gun from his jacket and displayed it to the teller, asking for a withdrawal of 20s, 50s and 100s. The teller complied.

A brief pursuit with law enforcement ensued which resulted in his apprehension a short distance from the bank.

At the time of the plea today, Wood also admitted to committing four additional bank robberies which occurred throughout the country. Those include the Feb. 18, 2015, robbery of U.S. Bank at 4140 John F. Kennedy Blvd. in Little Rock, Arkansas; the Aug. 11, 2015, robbery of Great Western Bank located at 3800 East 15^th Street in Loveland, Colorado; the Aug. 15, 2015, robbery of American West Bank located at 1290 South West St. in Woods Cross, Utah; and the Aug. 27, 2015 robbery of Valley View Bank located at 8100 West 151^st Street in Overland Park, Kansas.

Woods will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The FBI’s Bank Robbery Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Searle is prosecuting the case.