Bank Robber Sentenced in Federal Court

DAMION BARNES, a/k/a “Turk,” age 29, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced yesterday in federal court by U.S. District Judge Stanwood R. Duval, Jr., to seventy-one (71) months’ imprisonment for a bank robbery he committed before Hurricane Katrina, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten. Additionally, Judge Duval ordered the defendant to pay $5,000 in restitution and serve three (3) years’ supervised release following imprisonment during which time he will be under federal supervision and risks additional imprisonment should he violate any terms of the release.

According to court documents, BARNES admitted that on August 8, 2005, at 10:36 a.m., BARNES attempted to exchange a Mexican peso at the Omni National Bank on Citrus Boulevard, Harahan, Louisiana. BARNES was advised that the bank no longer exchanged foreign currency, and he left the bank. Later that same day at approximately 11:15 a.m., BARNES entered the Whitney National Bank located on Jefferson Highway in Harahan, Louisiana where he slid a bank teller a paper bag across the counter which had a Mexican peso on top of it. BARNES then produced a crumbled white piece of paper which stated, “I have a gun don’t play no games with me put the money in the bag and you wont be hurt.” The bank teller pressed the bank’s hold-up alarm button and placed $1080.00 and a dye pack inside the paper bag and gave it to BARNES. As BARNES left the bank in a stolen truck, the dye pack ignited from inside the vehicle.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Liz Privitera of the Violent Crime Unit.