District Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Robbery

            WASHINGTON – Kevin Aguilar, 24, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a federal bank robbery charge stemming from a hold-up he committed earlier this year at a bank in downtown Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Andrew Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Aguilar entered the plea in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Aguilar faces a likely range of 57 to 71 months in prison and a fine of up to $150,000. The plea agreement calls for him to pay $852 in restitution and an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgment. The Honorable Reggie B. Walton scheduled sentencing for Oct. 12, 2017.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 26, 2017, at approximately 11:15 a.m., Aguilar entered a Capital One Bank in the 1200 block of F Street NW. He gave the teller a note in which he threatened to shoot the teller unless he immediately was given $10,000. The teller handed over $852, and Aguilar fled. He later was identified through bank surveillance footage and other evidence. Aguilar was arrested on April 18, 2017, and has been in custody ever since.

            As part of the plea, Aguilar also admitted attempting to rob a BB & T bank in the 600 block of 13^th Street NW on June 24, 2016. In that incident, he demanded money and stated, “I’m going to count to three and I’ll shoot … one.” The teller pressed an alarm and he fled without any cash. Aguilar was identified as the robber through surveillance videos and other evidence.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Arvind K. Lal, Chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, and Paralegal Specialist Teesha Tobias. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Akhi Johnson and Lisa Walters, who investigated and prosecuted the case.