Armed Credit Union Robber Sentenced

MARQUETTE, MI—U.S. Attorney Donald A. Davis announced that Carl Alphonso Crane III, age 21, a resident of Escanaba, Michigan, was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison as a result of his guilty plea to a charge of armed robbery of a federal credit union. U.S. District Judge R. Allan Edgar, who conducted the sentencing hearing in Marquette, also sentenced Crane to 48 months of federal supervised release after his prison term is complete.

Crane was apprehended as a result of an investigation by the FBI, Escanaba Department of Public Safety, and the Michigan State Police following the robbery of the Great Lakes First Federal Credit Union in Rapid River, Michigan on January 19, 2011. The investigation showed that Crane entered the credit union, brandished what appeared to be a handgun, and demanded money from the three tellers on duty in the credit union. Although Crane was wearing a ski mask, he was soon identified as a suspect. Law enforcement officers then learned that Crane was using some of the money from the robbery. Crane was found hiding at his father’s house and arrested. He subsequently confessed his role in the robbery and explained that Jacob John Johnston had been his accomplice. Law enforcement officers then located and question Johnston, who also confessed and was arrested.

Crane and Johnston were indicted on federal armed robbery charges by a grand jury sitting in Marquette on February 3, 2011. This past spring, Crane pled guilty to armed robbery of the Great Lakes First Federal Credit Union while Johnston pled guilty to aiding and abetting Crane. Johnston will be sentenced by Judge Edgar on August 18, 2011, and faces up to 25 years in prison.

Judge Edgar’s sentence comes in the wake of a string of armed robberies of banks and federal credit unions in the Upper Peninsula that began in early 2010. Judge Edgar explained that his sentence was intended to deter others who might consider a similar course of action. Two additional armed bank robbers will be sentenced by Judge Edgar on August 18. These are David Ryan Lemon, who robbed a branch of the First National Bank of Iron Mountain on August 5, 2010; and William Howard Kenealy, who robbed a branch of the Citizens State Bank of Ontonagon on March 11, 2011.

Crane, Johnston, Lemon, and Kenealy were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maarten Vermaat.