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Press Release

Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Washington
Admitted Committing Ten Bank Robberies in Washington, Oregon, Utah and Idaho

            A former Everett, Washington resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 78 months in prison for bank robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes.  ANTHONY JAMES MARTINIS, 42, admitted in February 2015 that he robbed ten banks across four western states.  At sentencing U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle said, “this was a traumatic event . . . tellers don’t know whether you are armed or not and it lives with them for the rest of their lives.”

            MARTINIS was arrested November 3, 2014 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma after members of the public provided his identity to law enforcement after the surveillance photos from a series of bank robberies were publicized.  The string of bank robberies began September 17, 2014 at the Fibre Federal Credit Union in Longview, Washington.  In each robbery MARTINIS handed the teller a note demanding all the money from the till.  On September 23, 2014, MARTINIS robbed the Chase Bank in Yakima, Washington.  Three days later MARTINIS robbed the Umpqua Bank in Lacey, Washington.  The fourth robbery occurred on October 6, 2014 when the Chase Bank in Milton, Washington was targeted.  Ten days later, MARTINIS had moved on to Oregon, robbing the Umpqua Bank branch in Eugene on October 16, 2014.  That same day MARTINIS robbed the Wells Fargo Bank branch in Salem, Oregon.  The next day he robbed the Wells Fargo Bank branch in Cottage Grove, Oregon.

            The robbery spree continued in Washington with the robbery of the US Bank branch in Vancouver on October 22, 2014.  The next day MARTINIS robbed the US Bank branch in Boise, Idaho.  The final robbery MARTINIS admits committing was the October 25, 2014 robbery of America First Credit Union in Roy, Utah.

            MARTINIS was ordered to pay $17,683 in restitution to the victim banks.

            The case was investigated by the FBI with significant assistance from the Longview Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gregory A. Gruber.

Updated May 11, 2015

Topic
Violent Crime