Armed Bank Robber from Floyds Knobs Sentenced to Twelve Years in Federal Prison for Committing Five Robberies in Ten Weeks

INDIANAPOLIS – Daniel Wilkinson, 30, of Floyds Knobs, Indiana, was sentenced yesterday to twelve years in federal prison after pleading guilty to five different Indianapolis area bank robberies, and two counts of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. 

According to court documents, between September 5 and November 17, 2020, Wilkinson robbed five different Chase Bank branches in the Indianapolis area. During each robbery Wilkinson entered the bank alone and gave a teller a note announcing that he was robbing the bank and demanding money. During his bank robbery spree, Wilkinson stole a total of at least $30,805.

On November 13, 2020, Wilkinson entered a Chase Bank branch on Castle Creek Parkway Drive and handed a teller a hand-written note stating, “Stay calm stay quiet this is a robbery open your teller drawer and take all the money out I will shoot my way out if I have too.” Wilkinson then lifted his shirt to show a black handgun in his front pocket to the first teller, who handed Wilkinson cash from a bank register. Wilkinson later showed his handgun to another teller, who also handed Wilkinson approximately $2,263 in cash from another bank register.

On November 17, 2020, Wilkinson entered a Chase Bank branch on Kentucky Avenue and handed a teller a hand-written note stating, “Stay calm this is a robbery take all the money out of the drawer and any underneath…Place it in envelopes No tracers or Dye Packs If I have too I’ll Shoot.” The teller then handed Wilkinson cash from another bank register. Immediately following the bank robbery, IMPD SWAT officers located Wilkinson in the getaway car and stopped and arrested him. At the time of the arrest, Wilkson was armed with a black, 9mm handgun in his front pocket. IMPD officers searched the getaway car and recovered $6,377 inside Chase Bank envelopes, clothing worn in the robberies, and a notebook with writing impressions of a robbery demand note.

Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Herbert J. Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Indianapolis Field Office, and Chief Randal Taylor, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department made the announcement.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. As part of the sentence, Judge Magnus-Stinson ordered that Wilkinson be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for five years following his release from federal prison and pay $30,805 in restitution to JP Morgan Chase Bank.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jayson W. McGrath who prosecuted this case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.