Minneapolis Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing St. Paul Bank

MINNEAPOLIS—Earlier today in federal court in St. Paul, a 55-year-old Minneapolis man pleaded guilty to robbing a St. Paul bank. Michael Lewis Johnson, who was indicted on April 20, 2011, pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. He entered his plea before United States District Court Judge Paul A. Magnuson.

In his plea agreement, Johnson admitted stealing $4,255 from the Wells Fargo Bank at 2145 Ford Parkway. According to a law enforcement affidavit filed in the case, a man, later identified as Johnson, walked into the Wells Fargo bank at 4:00 p.m. on April 5, 2011. He stood next to the kiosk where customers fill out bank forms for about 10 to 15 minutes. Then, he approached a teller, handed her a note, and said, “We’ve got a problem here.” The note, which was written on an ATM deposit envelope, stated, “you’re being robbed.” He instructed the teller to place money on the counter, which the teller did.

The robber then flipped through the stacks of money before putting them in a plastic shopping bag and walking out the bank. Video surveillance at the bank and nearby businesses recorded the robber. Those surveillance tapes were used to identify Johnson, who was arrested on April 6, 2011, at his residence. During the execution of a search warrant at Johnson’s home, police seized cash in the basement as well as clothing that matched what was worn by the robber.

For his crime, Johnson faces a potential maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Judge Magnuson will determine his sentence at a future hearing, yet to be scheduled. This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the St. Paul Police Department and the Minneapolis Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew S. Dunne and Bahram Samie.