Utah Man Sentenced to 26 Months’ Imprisonment for Credit Union Robbery

ST. GEORGE, Utah – Jason Grace, 54, of St. George was sentenced to just over two years’ imprisonment followed by three years supervised release after he admitted to a credit union robbery. The sentence was ordered by United States Federal District Court Chief Judge Robert J. Shelby. 

According to court documents, on July 26, 2023, Grace entered a Mountain America Credit Union (MACU) in St. George. Grace handed the teller a note which read “this is a robbery” and directed the clerk to provide $4,400 in lower denominations. The teller gave Grace ten $100 bills and Grace fled in a two-door black Chevy Silverado with black rims and a tonneau cover on the bed. St. George Police Department officers and FBI agents responded to the scene and began investigating and alerted surrounding neighboring law enforcement of the robbery and provided descriptions of the suspect and the Chevy Silverado. The next day, Mesquite police officers spotted a matching Chevy Silverado with a Utah plate in the parking lot of the Virgin River Casino. A records check of the vehicle determined it belonged to Grace and photos confirmed it was the getaway vehicle. Investigators also identified Grace as the suspect by comparing his driver's license photo to surveillance from the robbery and photos on social media. Grace, who was a guest at the casino, was served a search warrant and his hotel room and vehicle were searched. Officers located clothing that matched what Grace wore during the robbery. Grace was arrested and admitted to chewing up the robbery note and spitting it out the window as he was driving. He told officers that after obtaining the money, he purchased two money orders, a pool cue he recently pawned, paid his back rent, and fled to Mesquite with the remainder of the money. 

“No individual should be threatened or intimidated at their place of business,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “This was not a spontaneous act of violence, but instead something Mr. Grace carefully considered for approximately a week. We are grateful to our law enforcement partners who acted quickly and carefully.”

The case is being investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, St. George Resident Agency, St. George Police Department and the Mesquite Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Chris Burton of the District of Utah is prosecuting the 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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.