Former Minneapolis Police Officer Sentenced for Armed Bank Robbery

A former Minneapolis police officer was sentenced this afternoon in federal court in St. Paul for robbing an Apple Valley Wells Fargo bank on January 6, 2010. United States District Court Judge Patrick J. Schiltz sentenced Timothy Edward Carson, age 29, of Rosemount, to 96 months in prison on one count of armed bank robbery and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Carson was indicted on February 2, 2010, and pleaded guilty on March 19, 2010.

Following the sentencing, United States Attorney B. Todd Jones, said, “When police officers break the law, it shakes public confidence and trust in ways we cannot measure. Today’s sentence makes clear that no one is above the law.”

Minneapolis Police Chief Timothy J. Dolan added, “Officer Carson’s actions hurt many, including his victims, family, and those of us who wear a badge. I am thankful that no one was seriously injured or killed in any of his robberies, and I am also very grateful that the Minneapolis Police Department was able to assist in solving this case. From here on, I hope that Tim Carson can get the help he needs to become a productive citizen.”

In his plea agreement, Carson admitted stealing $4,580 from the bank and putting the lives of others in jeopardy by brandishing a Beretta 40-caliber, semi-automatic handgun during a January 6, 2010, robbery. According to an affidavit filed in the case, the bank was robbed at 9:16 a.m. that day by a man with a handgun. The man, later identified as Carson, jumped onto the counter and pointed the gun at three tellers. He then ordered everyone to put their hands up and their heads down, after which he directed the tellers to give him money. Upon receiving the cash, he fled the premises. Security cameras from a nearby Target store recorded the man getting into a parked vehicle near a vacant strip mall.

Just before the robbery, at precisely 8:37 a.m., Carson was stopped by Apple Valley police about three miles from the bank. The stop was made because Carson’s vehicle had no front license plate. During the stop, Carson identified himself as a Minneapolis police officer and, ultimately, was allowed to go on his way. Later, that same Apple Valley officer responded to the bank robbery and, while on his way to the scene, observed Carson’s vehicle heading away from the bank.

The affidavit filed in the case also states that Carson was scheduled to report to work at the Minneapolis Police Department at 9 a.m. that day but failed to arrive until 10 a.m. Later in the day he was arrested by the Apple Valley Police Department and the FBI.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Apple Valley Police Department, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan P. Petterson and Michelle E. Jones.