Effingham, Illinois, Man Sentenced to 48 Months for Bank Robbery

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – An Effingham, Illinois, man, Dillon Rensner, 22, was sentenced on November 14, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless to 48 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release, for bank robbery. Judge Lawless also ordered restitution in the amount of $1,476.00 and a $200 special assessment.

Rensner was indicted in May 2023 and pleaded guilty that same month.

At the sentencing hearing, Judge Lawless found that Rensner entered the Regions Bank at 111 South Durkin Drive in Springfield, Illinois, carrying what appeared to be a firearm and demanded money from bank employees. During the robbery, Rensner pointed the firearm at various people inside the bank and threatened them. Judge Lawless stated that, even though the firearm was later proven to be a blank gun, the fear and terror that the victims of Rensner’s crime felt was very real and very traumatic.  

The statutory penalties for bank robbery are up to 25 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years supervised release.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, with assistance from the Springfield Police Department, the Illinois State Police, the Indiana State Police, and the Terre Haute Police Department.

The case against Rensner 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.