Illinois Man Sentenced To Over 21 Years in Prison

HAMMOND-Jeremiah Ellis, 34, of Blue Island, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon following his guilty plea to Counts 1 through 5 of the Superseding Indictment, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Bell. 

Mr. Ellis was sentenced to 261 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release

Ellis entered a guilty plea to bank robbery, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.  According to documents in the case, on March 29, 2014, Ellis and co-defendant Ashley Patterson robbed First Merchant’s Bank in East Chicago, Indiana. Ellis and Patterson ran into the bank with their guns drawn, held bank employees and customers at gunpoint, and got away with approximately $10,000. Ellis fired shots at officers as Patterson drove them away from the bank after the robbery.

Ellis committed two other armed robberies in Hammond before police caught him.  He robbed a Marathon gas station of $1,800 on March 19, 2014, and a Mobil gas station of approximately $1,000 on January 26, 2014. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT Task Force with the assistance of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Chang and Molly Kelley.

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